Define Mortified
by Pyocola Analogue III
Summary: AU What's worse than being forced to live through your parent's divorce? Your mother playing the field again. And the best part of that? When she starts dating your worst enemies equally single father. Welcome to the wacky family! SoMa and others
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter One: This Stupid New Life

Maka Albarn hadn't been surprised when she came home from school to have her mother tell her she had filed for divorce. In all honestly, she had almost wept in joy over the news; Maka knew that her father was a pig who did nothing but cause her mother pain. Her father was a popular musician and had only become such because her mother had been his manager and knew how to work it. And now, as he had cheated on her mother for the last time, Maka Albarn no longer had a father. She had hugged her mother and said she was happy when she first was told because she thought that now her mother would be able to enjoy her life.

That had been back in May, when school let out for the summer; it was currently September and Maka resented this new world of hers.

Ever since the divorce was finalized Kami had started dating. One of the main points this bothered Maka was because now she was spending the evening by herself. It was fine because she'd spend the hours practicing her viola, but it was still lonely because normally her mother would listen and tell her how it sounded. Being the manager of a record company meant she knew a lot about how music should sound and for Maka, she needed that. Despite being wonderful at playing and reading the music, Maka wasn't too good at evoking her emotion into it.

Currently, as Maka was getting dressed for school, she was wondering how her first day was going to go. She had gotten into all the highest level classes with the toughest teachers. She had Miss Nygus for Spanish and science, Miss Azusa for mathematics and history, and lastly she had Miss Mjolnir for English and culinary, and lastly Mr. Evans for orchestra. Shibusen was a small academy with only a handful of teachers on either side of the field.

On top of being one of the top schools in Nevada, Shibusen was also a school that was a fan of segregating the sexes. They believed that one way to keep teen pregnancy rates low and test scores high was keeping the male and female students separated with instructors of the same gender as them. The only time the two genders ever interacted with one another was during a handful of co-ed classes; the co-ed classes were all the fine arts electives offered.

"I can't wait until last hour," She mumbled as she knotted her tie. She smiled at her reflection, twirling in her school uniform. The actual uniform was a light cream color long sleeved jacket over a short sleeved white button-up blouse and a matching cream skirt that went to about mid-thigh. The edge of the skirt and the edge of the sleeves on the jacket were a right maroon color that was replicated with the tie. Lastly, she wore white knee high socks and black dress shoes to finish it off. "I'm going to put that stupid, smug ass in his place!" She announced to her reflection while plucking her hairbrush up and combing through her hair. She parted it, tied it off with black hair ties, and then tied pink ribbons over the hair ties.

She figured since she certainly couldn't lash out at home she could take her frustration out on her arch rival.

Years ago, in grade school, Maka had been selected to participate in a city-wide music competition because of her skills with her viola. She had been so excited and wore her best pink dress with the white ruffles on the edges. Her mother had taken her back stage and then headed off to the auditorium to wait for Maka's turn. Maka had looked around, hugging her viola in its black plastic case and her folder of music, and spotted another kid about her age seated at a piano. Being the social butterfly that she was, she headed over to introduce herself. "Hello, I'm Maka Albarn! Who are you?" She asked excitedly.

The boy glanced at her in pure boredom. His eyes were a startling red color that reminded Maka of roses and blood. His hair was a powder white, implying he was an albino, but his skin was a light bronze that wasn't typically possible for one to have. He was wearing a black suit and looked rather professional and the way he was watching her made Maka feel just a touch uneasy. "What piece are you playing?" He asked in a dull tone.

"This one," She said, handing over her folder of sheet music. He opened it and pulled out the piece on the front. Maka smiled and waited patiently for his response; it was one of her favorite songs and she was happy she'd been able to find it in a viola solo. Because the viola was a less popular member of the string ensemble, finding solos for it was typically very difficult.

"_Beauty and the Beast_? Really?" He asked with a snort, snapping her folder. She blinked and he gave her folder back to her. "Here's a secret; you're only here because you go to a public school. You aren't here because they want you here and you aren't here because you're any good; you're just here for the amusement of the rest of us. You don't dress right for this, you don't have the right attitude for this, and you certainly don't have the right instrument for this. I'd suggest you just throw in the towel and go home now before you make a fool of yourself." He said flatly.

"Our next performer is Soul Evans, playing Vivaldi's classic piece, _L'inverno (1)_," One of the judges announced as Maka's heart was breaking. The boy perked up, stood and walked off without another word. Who was he to say such things? Why did he have to be so mean to her when she was trying to be friendly?

It didn't help that Maka didn't even place in the top ten performers when the results were posted.

After that year was over, she tested into a private academy and realized that one of her orchestra classmates was that same pianist, Soul Evans. Ever since she was trying her hardest to put him in his place and show that she was better than him. Today was the first day of a new year and Maka could already tell it was going to be an interesting one; since their last teacher left William Evans, the famous conductor and father of her enemy, was their new teacher. "I've always liked having a handicap, though," She hummed as she grabbed her viola and her book bag.

Kami Albarn was waiting downstairs, putting the rest of her papers into her briefcase. She glanced up and smiled at Maka with the same soft features as her daughter. "You ready to go, sweetheart?" She asked merrily as she straightened up. Maka nodded and they headed out toward the car.

"So will you be home for dinner tonight?" Maka asked as she buckled in. Her mother hadn't mentioned any dates but at the face she made, the young teen already knew the answer. "I'll take that as a no." She sighed while looking out the window.

"Oh, Maka, I'm sorry but this is a really important date," She said gently while backing out of the yard. When he daughter didn't respond as she shifted into drive she smiled lightly. "Would you feel better if I agreed to take you driving on Saturday? I'll make sure to leave my schedule completely open so that we'll have all day."

"Really?" Maka gasped excitedly, turning to look at her mother. She knew it was a bribe but she didn't really care. She had gotten her learner's permit back at the end of April, about a week before the divorce proceedings. Because of this, she had only been out driving once in the span of time.

"Really. We can go drive around and you can start getting some more practice under your belt," Kami said happily. Maka giggled and nodded merrily. "Then it's a date." She hummed lightly.

The rest of the car ride was pleasant and comfortable.

…

"It's time for battle, ladies," Maka's best friend, Liz Thompson, said calmly. Liz' younger sister, Patty, was giggling beside her in excitement. Liz was the same age as Maka while Patty a year younger and the two were members of the orchestra with her. Liz had started out playing the violin but ended up joining the dark side –A.K.A. the viola section – while Patty had always been evil with her string bass. There were only five violas (including Liz and Maka) and two string bass players (including Patty) with the six cellos in the whole lower strings. They were outnumbered with a total of twenty four violins and the pianist that Maka wanted so desperately to castrate.

"We are entering the war zone and now there's a new general on the field," Maka announced calmly. For whatever reason, the rivalry between Maka and Soul had also become a separate rivalry between Soul and the Thompson sisters. At first, the two siblings didn't like Soul because of his attitude toward Maka; then one day, when Maka had been forced to stay home sick, something really bad happened and she just knew it made things worse. Thus they had suddenly adopted this train of thought in regards to their class and seemed fine working with it. "And, considering that he is Soul's father, the scale may just have been tipped against us. I mean, Mr. Sid never approved of our battles but he figured that it was just our teenage hormones causing us to act that way."

"Ah, my dear Maka," Liz cooed deviously, a cruel glint in her stormy blue eyes, "you seem to forget I am a master of bad doings. If anyone can do anything and get away with it, I will be the one to do it." With this point made, the older girl threw open the doors and walked into the large orchestra room.

The room was about the size of your average band room with the basic set up to match. There were tons of chairs set up, divided into pairs with a music stand placed in front of them so that it was equal, and there were already quite a few other kids in their seats. Maka looked around, trying to find one figure in specific, and wasn't surprised to find him at his usual perch; the electric keyboard was placed right next to the conductor's podium, after all. Burgundy eyes locked with emerald ones from across the room and sparks went flying.

With a smug smirk, Soul Evans leaned back in his chair and **dared** to yawn.

"Look at that smug jerk," Maka growled, her grasp on the plastic handle of her viola case tightening. Liz glared back at him too before placing a hand on Maka's shoulder.

"Let's just head to our spots for now; we can have fun once class actually starts," She said simply while crossing the room. She stared to go the front two chairs that would normally be the viola sections when another student, known as Kid, stopped them.

"That's not where you go," He said, watching them with a serious expression. Liz raised an eyebrow at him.

"What do you mean? It's where the viola section has always been! The first violins (2) go on the far left of the conductor podium, the second violins (3) go to the right of the first's, the violas go to the right of the second's, the cellos go next to the violas on the right and the bass behind them to complete the half circle!" She barked back out. Kid then shook his head at her.

"Not anymore," He sighed. He indicated the spot next to the first violin section, the two seats next to where he was seated as the concert master (4). "Mr. Evans prefers the Baroque style in which it's the first violins in the same location, with the violas next to the first's, the cellos next to the violas, the semi-circle completed by the second violins and the bass positioned behind the viola section."

"Seriously?" Maka asked with a deadpan expression. She had known that things were going to be different with a new teacher but she hadn't thought that the actual seating arrangements would be changed.

"It's called having a variety," Soul chimed in from the piano. His smirk was still in place, making Maka want to fling a book at him to chase it away.

"It's called nobody cares what you have to say, Soul," Liz seethed back bitterly. She dropped her bag next to her chair and plopped down. "So you're principle player (5) now but I think I'll take over after the first concert. Is that cool with you?" Liz asked with a small yawn.

Maka giggled as she sat down in her spot and got herself situated. She set her viola, still in case, to the left of her seat and her backpack to the right. The viola section was a small one and, being the top two players, Maka and Liz just took turns playing leader. "That's fine by me. We can just switch after each concert like last year,"

"Cool," Liz grinned just as the bell rang. She resituated herself that she was seated in a more lady-like style and all eyes turned to the office as the door clicked shut. Aside from Soul, no one had ever seen William Evans up close and personal.

He was an attractive man, to say the least. He had regal features that reminded the students of those pictures of nobility in the history books although he had a softer feel to him. His hair was the same pale white as his son's but it was a little longer and tied back in a small ponytail at the nape of his neck. He was tall and lean, wearing a black dress shirt and regular denim jeans, but what got Maka's attention were his eyes. They were the same startling shade as his son's but they were a touch more rounded and somehow seemed generally kinder than Soul's.

"Hello, class," He greeted mirthfully as he walked up to the conductor's podium. He settled himself into the seat and set the large blue binder he'd been carrying down. "I'm your new teacher, Mr. Evans. I just got my teaching credentials a few months ago so this is going to be a fun experience for me as well. Now, after roll call, I'll let you all ask me a few questions and try to answer them as honestly as possible, okay?" He explained before cracking open the binder and setting to work.

After her own name was called, Maka pretty much spaced out until it came time to ask questions. The first few questions were the generic "How old are you?" or "What's your favorite color?" questions that she assumed came from the freshman. The rest of the students typically asked "What's your favorite era of classical?" or "Who is your favorite composer?" And then, Liz raised her hand with a small grin on her features.

"Yes, Miss… Thompson, is it?" He asked, taking a quick look at his attendance chart.

"Yeah, I'm Liz," She answered calmly. He nodded and she grinned wider, glancing briefly at Soul. "So, on a scale of one to ridiculously flaming, how gay is your son?"

The class erupted into laughter, Soul looked downright horrified, and William Evans seemed rather baffled. "I'm… Sorry… What did you ask?"

"Did I stutter? I'm asking if Soul likes penis," She responded calmly. Another bout of laughter and Maka herself was trying to hide her laughter.

"Oh, real mature Thompson!" Soul snapped from the piano. She sneered back at him.

"It's a harmless question. Would you care to answer instead? I mean, I see the way you and Black*Star look at each other," She pressed further.

"I believe this has gone far enough," Mr. Evans announced suddenly, causing all eyes to return to him. He sent a pointed look at Liz. "If you don't want to get detention, I suggest that you drop it now. Since it's the first day I don't want to have to get harsh with you all. Yes, Soul is my son but I will not treat him any differently than I will treat any of you. Please withhold from teasing him or any of your peers; we are all here to play music and have fun, right?" He explained in a serious tone of voice, but the smile he wore made it seem okay.

"Fine," Liz huffed while crossing her arms and turning away.

"Now, I think that's enough for questions. Those of you who need to borrow instruments, please form a line and we'll get started on distributing the rentals we have on hand," He said while standing and pulling over one of three large wheeled carts with plastic black cases all over them. "We'll start with violins and then move on to violas. Cellos and bass, your instruments are in this private room over there. Once I get these ordered out we'll get you registered as well." He said, indicating a small office door beside a water fountain in the room. When he received positive responses from the rest of the class he nodded and flipped through his binder to the correct page.

Maybe this wouldn't be so hard, after all.

…

After class, they met up with their friend Tsubaki in the ladies restrooms. "So I can already tell that Mr. Hunky is totally in to me," Liz announced proudly. Patty laughed while Tsubaki, whom had been fixing her ponytail before cheerleading practice, let out an alarmed noise.

"What?" She squeaked loudly. Liz was busying herself with applying some lip gloss while Maka was washing her hands. "Liz, you can't date a teacher! That's not only illegal but inappropriate!"

"Aw, come on! I'd be, like, the best mommy for Soul Evans ever! At least then he'd learn a thing or two about respect!" She laughed loudly.

"Yeah, you'd totally show him whose boss!" Patty agreed, as chipper and excited as ever. Maka shook her head at her friends' antics and headed out of the bathroom. She didn't completely agree with what Liz had done but it was nice to see the proud Soul Evans lose his cool and have his dad step in for him.

'_Maybe I should let this grudge go? I mean, it has been a long time,'_ She thought before shaking her head. She thought back to her feelings that day when Soul had said those harsh words to her. She had had so much riding on that competition and in a matter of seconds he tore her up and dashed her hopes. _'Nope. I'm going to continue beating him in class and letting Liz have her fun however she's like.'_ She decided calmly. She normally didn't want to cause trouble with anyone else but Soul Evans was a special case.

"Hey, Albarn!" Speak of the devil. She turned to find him leaning on the wall a few feet from the ladies room. She must have been too preoccupied with her thoughts to notice him in passing. He pushed off the wall and approached her, leaning a little closer with a scowl on his features. "What the Hell was that little stunt in class all about?"

"I don't know; Liz does her own thing and really doesn't like you, I guess," She shrugged simply enough. She glanced at her watch and noticed that it was a quarter after three. Her mother always came to get her at three thirty on the dot and aka had been hoping to get a few books from the library to celebrate the start of the new school year. "If you have a problem with her than take it up with her." She turned to leave but Soul caught her wrist and let out a low, dark chuckle.

If Maka wasn't so peeved at him grabbing her, she would have been scared. "No, you see," He drawled while glaring up at her. She flinched then, at the furious gleam in his eyes. She had seen Soul in every range of emotion over the years but she had never seen him look this impossibly pissed. "All my problems with them stem from you. I don't remember what you apparently think I did to wrong you but it's about time you got over it, don't you think? You've been a pain in my ass since grade school."

"You don't even remember?" She asked slowly, head dropping so that her eyes were on the tile. Her fists clenched and unclenched as she tried to remain calm. "You don't even remember that day?" She asked again. He didn't respond with words but made a small noise, a snort much like the way he released upon seeing what song she was playing. Her mind played his words over and over again, like a scratched disc stuck on a specific word.

"_You aren't here because they want you here and you aren't here because you're good; you're just here for the amusement of the rest of us."_

She yanked her arm from his grasp and looked up at him, eyes alive with insult and something else he couldn't place; was it anger or indignation or, impossible as it seemed, sadness? "You aren't going to get off the hook that easily, Evans," She growled lowly. It reminded Soul of a wet kitten; frustrated and trying to be threatening but seeming more harmless and pathetic. He must have really taken a jab at her by not remembering what he did to her. "You are going to pay for what you've done and I'm going to make sure of it. I don't know how, I don't know when, but I swear I will make you regret it; whether you remember it or not.

"Whatever; just understand that I'm not going to take it lying down. If you want to fight fire with fire, that's just fine. I can hit a lot harder than you, so be prepared," He scoffed before storming off. Maka glared at his retreating form and squared her shoulders defiantly.

This meant war.

End

(1) _L'inverno –_ This song is typically translated into _Winter_ and is one of the _Four Seasons_ pieces composed by the Italian composer Vivaldi. I've always liked the _Four Seasons_ pieces and felt like using this one in this chapter.

(2) First violin – First violin is a term commonly used in all orchestras (even grade school groups). There are typically a significantly larger number of violins than any other instrument in orchestras; therefore, most pieces have two different parts written for the violins and leads to them being separated. One of the violin sections is primarily the melody and the other is a slightly cooler, more interesting version of the harmony that's given to the lower strings. First violins are the players that get to play the melody.

(3) Second violin – Second violin is another term commonly used in all orchestras (even grade school groups). There are typically a significantly larger number of violins than any other instrument in orchestras; therefore, most pieces have two different parts written for the violins and leads to them being separated. Now, I'm not going to say second violins aren't as good as first violins because I don't believe that; I will say that typically the second violin part is more similar to what the lower strings play as opposed to the first violins who typically get the main melodies of the songs.

(4) Concert master – The concert master is the first chair first violin or the best player in the given section. They walk out right before the conductor and begin the on-stage tuning process by playing a sing note while standing. Upon the rest of the orchestra making their final tweaks and adjustments, the concert master sits, finishes their tuning, and when it all goes silent the conductor steps on stage. Concert master is a term typically not introduced into the setting of an orchestra until high school but I have heard that some prestigious private academies will put the system in place during younger grades.

(5) Principle player – The principle player is a similar status to the concert master only in different sections. For example, the principle players would be the first chair second violin, first chair viola (VIOLA POWAH~!), first chair cello, first chair string bass and the first chair first violin but they are called the concert master instead. When I was in high school, we all pretty much got to take turns being principle player in the viola section since there were quite literally only five of us. It was the same with the cellos, since they only had six, and it was always one of my friends as the principle player for the string bass because she was better than the other kid and he tended to sleep in class (yes, you can sleep in orchestra class. But only if you play string bass, since it keeps you propped up).

Notes:

Those little tidbits of information look familiar? Check chapter six of Pulchritudinous; I told you all I'd be doing this.

So… First chapter was fun to plan out. This was, quite literally, the third draft of this chapter that I had to make and even then I'm still not 100% with it. Why? Because I am picky ass bitch, that's why.

I hope everyone is ready for tons of Lol-worthy shit to go down, because I promise that there will be tons of it. Although there will be some inappropriate stuff that will happen, I may not include lemons in this one. If you all have an opinion please share it so I can try to reach a decision; I'm such an indecisive little bitch. :/

Was this good? Please let me know~!

Next Chapter:

There are death threats, war promises, and even more chaos taking place in the orchestra classroom. William Evans wonders if he made the right choice in being a teacher, Kami Albarn starts to wonder if her daughter should be placed in therapy and the kids are not alright. To top it all off, Liz develops a taste for the blood of a second classmate; Death the Kid.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

To answer Nikolai: Yup, I played the viola. Started in fifth grade (since orchestra seemed better than dealing with our crazy music instructor) and played all the way through high school. After graduating I kinda just stopped but I can still sorta play a basic scale and a few pieces by memory. And, sadly, none of what was exchanged last chapter was based off a real experience of my own high school time. I will include some instances soon, though.

Chapter Two: This Stupid Reunion

The first month of school was simply miserable for Maka. She and Soul had gotten into verbal disputes a total of nine times (a new record for them, according to Patty's score chart) and she had seen her mother a total of four times. Kami was taking the term "dating around" to a whole new meaning; top that off with Maka's driving practice being neglected over and over again and she was far from a happy camper. That morning she approached Liz with her problem in hope of getting some good advice. "I think I just might have to actually give my mom the silent treatment," Maka remarked as she pulled out her viola in class. Liz, mid-twist of one of the fine tuners (1) of her own viola, stopped and stared at her.

"Are you serious? You never have to argue with your mom!" She said in sheer shock. The younger blonde made a small disgruntled noise in the back of her throat. The older shook her head and made a small tsking noise, resuming her tuning. "Well, do what you gotta do. If that's what it'll take for your mother to realize that she's neglecting you than that's that."

"I still feel bad about the whole thing," Maka sighed just as the final bell chimed. Mr. Evans walked out of his office quickly, carrying his large conductor's binder and a few overstuffed manila folders atop it with him. Silence fell as he stepped up to the podium and got settled in the chair kept with it.

"Okay, class, I have a few new pieces for us. I remember a few of you saying you wanted to do more modern things so I tracked down some music from movies and popular songs that were approved by the school," He explained while setting everything down. He started counting copies and handed them out to each group as necessary. Kid and Maka were given the task of handing the music out their own sections as well as to the sections near them. "Now, this first piece is an orchestral composition of the popular song _Bohemian Rhapsody_ by the band Queen. While I make sure everything else is in order you can start fiddling through and getting a feel for it." He said calmly.

"So are you just going to start in with the silent treatment or try talking to her about how you're feeling?" Liz asked, holding her viola in guitar position (2) and begin to practice the piece in pizzicato (3) style. Maka imitated her position and sighed, starting up at the first measure of the music.

"She's never around so there's no point in trying to talk to her; I'm just going to ignore her every time I see her," She said calmly. Liz nodded a bit at her. Maka opened her mouth to say something else when she missed a note; to fix the error, she went back three measures and decided to try again. After picking back up and fixing the error she returned to the conversation. "I mean, what else can I do?"

"That's a good point. I mean, except sneak after your mother and sabotaging her dates so that she loses her interest in them," Liz laughed lightly. When Maka stopped playing and stared at her seriously she stopped as well. "No, Maka, bad! Trying to ruin your mother's chances at finding love is bad!" She chiding, reaching over and lightly bopping her on the head.

"But-" Maka whined lightly through puppy dog eyes.

"No! Naughty Maka! Very naughty Maka!" Liz continued on, finally pulling her hand back and resting it on her viola. She then let out a small sigh. "If I was still living on the streets I might say that was a good idea but it really isn't. You know me, Maka, and while I'm not normally a fan of conversation, you might regret it if you don't try tending to this in a civil manner with your mom."

"I know," Maka sighed lightly while plucking on her strings again. She glared at her shoes, trying really hard not to cry. "It's just… I want my mom back. She's always been there for me until now… It's not fair."

"I know," Liz cooed gently, setting her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. Guilty jade orbs shifted to look at her. "But we'll get it all figured out. For now, just focus on class, okay? We need to remind everyone why viola players are the best and brightest."

"Thanks, Liz," She said happily before perking up as William Evans called the class back to attention. She actually didn't say anything to Soul all class, even though what he said bugged her a few times.

That night, Maka decided to wait up in hopes of talking with her mother upon coming home. Kami arrived back at nearly midnight in and Maka was seated on the couch, watching some countdown show on the television. "Maka, what are you doing up? You have class in the morning," Kami hissed softly in a worried tone.

"I wanted to talk to you, Mama," She said gently, glancing up from the television and fighting back a yawn. She was glad her mother was finally home but she wished it wasn't so late. "You're never home anymore and… Well, I miss getting to see you sometimes. I know you want to go on dates, and I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself, but I still need you sometimes."

"Maka," Kami said with a small sigh. She walked over and gently sat beside her, hugging the younger girl's shoulders. "Is that really all this is about?"

"What do you mean?" Maka asked, brow raised in confusion. Kami's eyes were soft on her but Maka felt a strange, cold sensation crawling up along his body. Something was off about this whole thing.

"I know the divorce must have been hard on you and that my new status dating is strange. You were always your Papa's little girl so I can understand if you miss seeming him the few visits you did," She explained gently.

Maka's head was spinning. This didn't make any sense. She had told her mother several times that she was fine; Hell, she had straight up told her mother that she was proud of her! She wouldn't have respected Kami anymore if she stayed with Spirit after everything he put their family through! "What?" Maka stumbled out after blinking a few times.

"Maka," Kami sighed with an understanding smile on her lips, "do you want to join Papa on his world tour?" Her heart plummeted to her shoes and her eyes widened. This couldn't be happening… Her Mama would never suggest such a thing to her! "When you were a little girl you loved it when your Papa took you for a portion of his tour over the summers. Getting to be on the road, ride in airplanes or buses, getting to learn how to tune different instruments and to write sheet music… You could get to live that life every day."

Maka stood slowly, stepping back and letting the betrayal show on her face. Tears stung at the back of her eyes and her mother suddenly looked fretful. "I understand… You don't want me cramping your style," She said vacantly. She let out a hollow little chuckle as a few tears started down her cheeks. "You want me gone so that you can go out and date however you like. After all, if I'm not here you don't have to come home, right? Plus who wants to date a woman with a troubled teenage daughter! First you start ignoring me and then you just ship me away to be somebody else's problem!"

"No, Maka, baby," She gasped, standing up. Revelation crossed her face but Maka wasn't sure how to feel about it. She stumbled back again and shook her head, turning and rushing to her room. The door slammed and locked just as Maki fell back on the couch with her head in my hands. "Oh, my God. Medusa warned me about this." She whispered shakily to herself, eyes shut in frustration.

Medusa Gorgon was an old college friend who worked with Kami as a manager for the record company. Medusa had married a purple haired bass guitar player who called himself Trigger and had two young sons with him. Trigger had been in Spirit's band, Sickle Syndrome, back when they first started climbing the charts. Unlike Kami, however, Trigger and Medusa didn't divorce over affairs with women; Trigger became an abusive heroin addict. After the golden haired woman realized he was beating their sons she dropped him like a ton of bricks and slapped a restraining order on him.

Trigger died about two years later of a drug overdose.

Kami had gone to Medusa when she filed the papers for advice. "Just remember that Maka is your saving grace," The other had said calmly. She glanced over at her own boys, sitting at a desk. Ragnarok, the older boy, had Chrona in a head lock. Ragnarok had inky black hair (a recessive gene from both his parents highlighted in him) and the same dark amethyst orbs as their father. Chrona, the younger one, looked like a carbon copy of Trigger with the pale lavender locks and dark purple eyes and milky white complexion. Medusa smiled at them, her yellow eyes softening, before she shifted her laptop case strap on her shoulder and looked at her friend. "If it weren't for those two, I wouldn't have had the strength to walk away and get back on my feet." She then marched over with a small frown on her lips. "Ragnarok Andrew Gorgon if you **do not** stop picking on your brother I'm going to ground until you're old enough to run for the presidency!"

Kami had laughed lightly at watching the other mother her boys but the advice had remained in the back of her mind until now. _'I was… I was really going to try to convince my baby girl to leave with that disgusting bastard! After how hard I fought to keep her I was going to just push her away,'_ She thought in sheer horror. She took a deep breath and sighed. "I'll… I'll have to talk to Maka tomorrow, on the drive to school. I need to set this right and see if I can repair the damage done." She said before getting off the couch. She glanced down the hall, noticed the light still on, but turned away. She knew her daughter was crying behind that but also knew she'd want to be alone for now.

…

Maka slept terribly that night. She got a total of four hours, sleeping from one to five, and then remained awake until six o'clock. She knew Liz would have woken up by then. She picked up the phone, dialed her number, and waited for an answer. "Liz Thompson, how may I help you?" Liz' tired voice grumbled bitterly.

"Liz, it's Maka," She said with a shaky breath.

"Hey, Maka. What's up?" The other asked with a small yawn. She crawled out from under her comforter and rested her feet on the floor. It didn't register in her still groggy mind that it wasn't a usual thing for Maka to call her so early on a school day.

"Can… Can you pick me up this morning?" She asked shakily. Maka had gotten dressed in her uniform at five thirty since she didn't have anything else to do. Practicing her viola ran the risk of rousing her mother, leading to them having to interact with one another, and she couldn't exactly focus on reading the novels she'd gotten from the school library.

"Well, sure, but doesn't your mom usually drive you to school?" Liz asked as her head finally cleared. She picked up a plush pink slipper of the ground and chucked it at Patty, sleeping in the bed next to her own. The younger sister let out a battle cry, limbs flailing, and landed upside down on the floor. Liz clicked the speaker phone button, put a finger to her lips while looking out her scowling sibling. Patty blinked, head cocked, and Liz mouthed their best friend's name to her.

Maka was silent for a moment before she ran a hand over her face and let out a distraught moan, knowing full well that both sisters were listening but not caring. It saved her the trouble of having to repeat the story three times (since she was going to have to tell Tsubaki as well). "Last night, when I tried to talk to her, she started talking about sending me to stay with my Papa. You know, join him on the road with his tour," She said morosely. She heard the other two girls gasp at her words. "So, yeah, can you two pick me up?"

"Give us twenty minutes and then head out to the front yard; we'll grab you and go," Liz said in a stern tone of voice.

"Thanks, Liz," She said with a sad smile turning up her lips. She looked at her reflection in the mirror after hanging up and tied two black ribbons over the hair ties of her pigtails. Then she sat on her bed, watching the minute hand on her clock move twenty times before grabbing her school bag, slipping on her shoes, and climbing out her window.

Kami watched her daughter go through a crack in the curtains.

…

When last period arrived, Maka was stressed and uncomfortable. During first and second hour she had cheered up a touch until she realized that with each passing class she was getting closer to having to go home. And she just knew, like all children knew, that when she got home her mother would most likely have stayed home and waited to talk to her. "I can just sense it," Maka grumbled after explaining it to the Thompson sisters.

"Maybe she'll want to apologize for what she said," Patty suggested merrily. Maka groaned and shook her head, pulling open the doors and entering the classroom. Her viola felt ten times heavier in her hands than normal.

"Let's just get this all over with," She mumbled bitterly. Soul was playing the theme to the Peanuts Gang when he noticed Maka, falling into her seat with her head dropped in sadness. Liz settled in beside her with a concerned scowl on her features.

"What's your problem, Albarn?" He barked out with a raised eyebrow. She paused in moving to set her case down, but resumed the task and didn't look up at him. His ruby orbs glinted in slight curiosity and alarm; normally, no matter how depressed she was, she had the energy to bark out some witty comeback when he tried to goad her into an argument. "Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning or is it just that time of the month?" He jeered further.

He wanted her to react; if she reacted than that meant she was okay, right?

"I'm not in the mood for you, Evans," She hissed coldly. She finally lifted her head, glaring at him through ashy blonde bangs. Her eyes were such a deep green with the shading they appeared almost cobalt or black. It was strange to see such a vindictive fire alight in her eyes but it was still a reaction. He tilted his head back a bit and smirked, intending full well to resume their usual bashing of one another.

"You're never in the mood for me," He laughed lightly. She glared harder at him, one hand reaching up to push her bangs out of her face, while the other clenched to the handle of her viola. "So what's wrong with you this time? Did Mommy forget to tell you she loves you this morning?"

And then, Maka Albarn snapped; she sent her viola, in its case, flying across the space between them and right into Soul Evans' face.

"What the Hell?" He yelled while getting back up, yanking her viola from his face. She was standing now, her eyes screaming pure loathing. If Soul himself wasn't so furious he probably would have been frightened by the look in her eyes. "Are you sure you aren't a guy going through a sex change? You hit way too hard to be a girl!" He snapped, tossing her cased instrument to the ground in frustration.

Every student jumped at the sound of the wooden tool rattling in the case; the sound of wood hitting a foreign object seemed to snap them out of their pretended indifference. It was like a trigger that had been created by years of plucking on the dusty metal strings that crossed the wooden frames of the instruments. "**You did not**," Maka growled out lowly, starting to stomp over. She knew her instrument had been knocked so far out of tune it would probably take her an hour (**at least**) to get it back in proper playing condition.

"What are you going to do about it, tiny tits?" He barked out angrily. Just as the final bell chimed, Maka threw herself into Soul and the two started a scuffle on the orchestra classroom floor.

"Kick his ass, Maka! Knee him in the crotch!" Patty howled with an insane laugh, setting her string bass down and beginning to jump on her chair. Students closer to where the fight was taking place had already circled around the two wrestling about on the ground. Liz stood up on her chair as well and snickered a bit. She wasn't sure if she should be proud or worried that her young friend had **actually** broken a school rule.

"What's the-?" Will Evans gaped when he saw the crowd of children. It took him a total of three seconds to realize it was a fight and another three seconds to realize which two students were missing. "Liz, you grab Maka and Ox, you grab Soul! Kid, go to my office and call the headmaster! Tell him we've had a little bout in orchestra class!" He snapped as he rushed down the stairs.

Despite her disagreement with separating the squabbling teens, Liz did as she was instructed. One of Maka's pigtails had been yanked lose and now the loose strands were tangled into knots. A button was missing from her uniform blazer. There was a red spot on her right cheek that Liz knew was going to develop into a fat, black and blue bruise. Her knees had a few cuts with red flesh resting between the little oozing wounds; Liz assumed that the red was from rug burn. One of her hands also had little bloody bite marks on it, implying Soul had the nerve to bite her. "Calm down, chickie," She said gently, her arms looped under Maka's so that the younger's arms were suspended from moving.

Ox was holding Soul in a similar position and Liz took the chance to give him a once over. His hair was mussed up as well but, since it was shorter and always looked like shit, seemed no worse for wear. His left eye was half open and the younger girl knew he was going to have a black eye. His nose was streaming blood but she wasn't sure if that had been a blow from Maka's fists or a delayed result of her instrument case kissing his face. His own school blazer had a rip on the seam between the fabric over the right shoulder and right sleeve, letting the white shirt he was wearing beneath be visible. Lastly, his tie had been yanked loose, dangling from his neck loosely. She grinned lightly and leaned closer to Maka. "He's going to have a wicked black eye cause of you," She whispered happily.

"Oh, it's going to be much better," Maka panted flatly, "considering I used my elbow for that blow."

No one realized Kid had actually done as he was told until the security guards drove up.

"All right, you two, get over here," One guard said flatly. Liz and Ox released Maka and Soul slowly; when they didn't immediately launch into another round, everyone relaxed slightly. One security guard grabbed each student and led them by the shoulders. "After the principal deals with you, we'll call your parents. You can just come by after class, Mr. Evans." The leader addressed to the teacher.

"Of course. And don't expect this to end well for you, Soul," Will warned his son with a scowl. However, Soul's eyes weren't transfixed on his infuriated caretaker; he was watching his attacker.

Never before had Soul Evans ever seen Maka Albarn's eyes so large with fear or the color fade from her face.

"Stupid Soul," Liz grumbled as she sank into her seat. Kid perked up and looked at her curiously.

"What do you mean? Maka was the one who started it," Kid said calmly. Cerulean clashed with gold for a moment. "In fact, Maka's the one who always starts the fights with Soul. Maybe now she'll learn to keep calm, even when she doesn't always agree with what someone is saying."

"Are you kidding me? Soul started this whole thing with Maka years ago!" She snapped back angrily. At one point, Liz had thought the same thing. But then Maka told her what had happened and what it had done to her; after that, she couldn't really nag Maka about having some animosity toward the albino.

"And maybe it's time she grew up and got over it," Kid said simply. It was a known fact that Soul and Kid hung out in the same group but the two didn't normally talk or interact. Most people just assumed they had a mutual acquaintanceship but Liz had a feeling they were actually friends; specifically given the dark haired male had decided to stand up for Soul.

Needless to say, Kid had now drafted himself into this war. And he had picked the wrong side.

…

As Maka had feared, her mother had stayed home from work that day. Thus, after a thirty minute lecture from Shinigami-Sama, the headmaster, (which made very little sense and left both students rather confused) he called her mother and explained the situation. The call lasted as long as that, before Kami had hung up, got dressed and rushed out of the house. Maka had sat there, silent, shaking in a mix of fear and rage.

She had warned Soul she was in no mood for him today and now look where he had gotten her!

Kami showed up first and took the seat between Soul and Maka. She seemed completely ignorant of the shark-toothed male and instead kept her gave fixed on her own child. "Maka, what were you thinking?" She asked gently, reaching to take her daughter's hands.

Instead, Maka pressed closer to the side of her chair farthest from her mother. "Can we just get this started with?"

"In just a moment, Maka-Chan," Shinigami-Sama said in his unusually high pitched voice. It was even more bizarre with how serious he was being. "You're Mommy may be here but we still need to wait for Soul's Daddy to get here."

Both teens twitched at the terms Mommy and Daddy being used but didn't comment.

Finally, after an uncomfortably awkward twenty minutes of silence, William Evans walked in. "Sorry about that but you know how it is when you have a class to tend," He sighed nervously. Kami perked up and turned around, recognizing his voice.

"William? William Evans?" She asked curiously while standing. Will blinked then his eyes widened and he smiled.

"Kami Reynolds? My God, I haven't seen you since we graduated!" He laughed. The two quickly embraced. Soul and Maka turned in their seats, looking between their parents in horror and bemusement. "You look fantastic! How have you been?"

"Oh, I've been alright," Kami giggled lightly after they pulled away. There was a faint pink mist on her cheeks that Maka didn't like. And there was a strange light to Will's eyes that was making Soul's stomach do somersaults. "I mean, I've been divorced for a few months now and it's been hard since I still technically work with the ex and all."

"Wait, you two split up? But you were so happy together!" William said in alarm. He and Kami had grown up on the same neighborhood and been the best of friends all their lives. Hell, he'd even threatened to pummel the man in question if he ever hurt Kami! "Wow, now that I think about it, I should have realized Maka was your daughter! It must be the pigtails; you always wore your hair up in a bun so I've always remembered you like that."

"Maka's her Mama's little mini-me," She agreed happily. She then perked up and smiled. "How about you and Masumi? If I remember, the two of you were engaged right before we got out of high school."

"She passed away a few years ago; lung cancer," He said, looking down. Maka blinked and shifted her attention to Soul, who looked suddenly uncomfortable. She didn't know his mother had died; then again, she didn't really know all that much about him but that was a bit of a shock. "Since then I've mostly been focusing on taking care of Wesley and Soul, our two boys. In fact, Soul's kind of the reason I'm here." He said, peering over Kami's shoulder and raising a silver brow at his son. Soul sunk down and turned in his seat, facing their principal again.

After the brief conversation, Kami returned to her seat and Will settled into the seat on the other side of Soul. "So, it appears these two have an issue with one another," Shinigami-Sama said calmly. It took all their self control to not roll their eyes at their headmaster; it was pretty obvious they had a severe distaste for one another at this point, wasn't it? "It's never gotten to this point before, and this is their first offense, however I must crack down on them. Suspension for a week seems like a good warning card, don't you agree?"

"Of course," Kami said gently.

"A week should teach them to mind themselves," Will agreed.

"Mama!"

"Dad!"

"No whining, Maka," Kami chided seriously. Her jade orbs were hard with concern and a touch of disappointment. "You know better but if you're going to act out you must be punished for it."

"And don't you start, Soul," Will stated with a calm face. He regarded Soul with a stern scowl. "You know better than to pick fights and you know even better than that to never hit a girl."

"Okay, I highly doubt that **thing** is actually a girl so don't hold **that** one against me," He said flatly, jerking a thumb in Maka's direction. Will's eyes widened in alarm while Maka scowled and Kami gasped in surprise.

"Oh, bite me, you self serving jackass!" Maka barked back at him. Kami stared at her daughter in horror now while Soul snickered lightly.

"I did and you taste like dried up shit!"

"Soul!"

"I'd rather taste like it than be it, Evans!"

"Maka!"

"Aw, you're so cute! You're like a fluffy little kitten; too bad you drown them in your spare time!"

"Watch yourself; maybe I'll use my bitch magic to turn you into one and then I'll drown you too!"

"Is that a promise?"

"Soul Cornelius Evans, you stop that right now!" William Evans roared angrily. All eyes turned to him before Maka snickered and Soul's cheeks flamed to a deep red that matched his eyes.

"Your middle name is Cornelius?" The petite blonde giggled lightly.

"Really, Dad? Did you really have to bust out the middle name?" He groaned while dropping his head in his hands. "So uncool."

"Uncool or not, you watch yourself! You're already in big trouble here," He warned with a frustrated sigh.

"Can I call you Corn-Hole from now on?" Maka jeered lightly, causing Kami to flush and both Evans males twitch in surprise.

"Maka Rebecca Albarn!"

"Oh, God, Mama!"

"Aw, does Becky not like it when Mommy uses her middle name?"

"Don't make me do something I'll regret, Evans!"

"I'll only agree if you do it hard," Soul cooed with a wink, smirk widening in victory when he left his opponent sputtering and blushing like mad. Evans: 1; Albarn: Zip!

"Okay, so," Shinigami-Sama sighed lightly, massaging his head lightly. All eyes turned to him, both parents looking completely terrified as they realized this little display had taken place in front of him. "One week suspension. The two of you are going to be heavily monitored upon your return for funny business; any acting up by either of you and I'll have you out of here faster than you can say 'I like tuna fish sammiches'. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir," Kami and Will stated in unison. Soul and Maka were trying to make sense of how tuna fish sandwiches played any part in the last few minutes.

"Very good. Now you two may retrieve your things from class and then head home. Your suspension starts as soon as you get off the campus," He said finally. Maka and Soul both nodded before rising with their parents and heading out.

Liz and Patty were waiting outside for them, Maka's bag and viola in their grasp. "Hey, pit-bull! How'd it go?" Liz asked teasingly as she handed the bag over. Maka smiled as she shrugged it on, letting the familiar weight help her relax. Patty then gave her the viola and Maka hugged the large case to her chest. She was praying the instrument would still be in one piece.

"Got suspended for a week," She said calmly. Kami watched her in shock, seeing how her daughter seemed not at all bothered by the punishment. When had Maka developed such an attitude? "Anyway, let's get going. I have to get off campus A.S.A.P. in order for my suspension to start up."

"Maka, you're coming home with me," Kami said sternly. The young woman didn't even look back at her.

"I'll be home later, Mama. I'm not really in the mood to start packing," She said harshly.

"Packing? For what?" She asked in alarm.

"You're just going to use this as an excuse to send me away with Papa anyway. At least then you can enjoy going on as many dates as you'd like, right?" And with that, Maka left her stunned and hurt mother behind her.

"She doesn't mean what she says," Will said gently, setting his hand on her shoulder. Soul had already disappeared to get his things. "She's just upset about everything and lashing out at everyone."

"Really?" Kami asked gently, eyes filled with doubt and sorrow. He gave her his most reassuring smile.

"Trust me; Soul went through a phase like that after his Masumi passed. Give her some space, time and all your love and she'll get through it," He said gently. He then looked off to the side and back. "If you'd like, we can get together some time and catch up. You know, as friends." He said quickly.

Kami blinked then smiled lightly, nodding a bit. "I'd like that," She agreed. The two exchanged phone numbers and then parted ways to try and reign in their unruly teenagers.

End

(1) Fine tuners – Fine tuners are the little silver pegs toward the bottom of the instrument, where the strings are wrapped around the end. They are used to tighten or loosen the string dependent upon if the string's note is high or low.

(2) Guitar position – It's a standard style used by violin and viola players when practicing. It is when the player holds the instrument and plucks the strings like the instrument the technique is meant to imitate.

(3) Pizzicato – A playing technique that involves plucking the strings of a string instrument. The exact technique varies somewhat depending on the type of stringed instrument as well as the position of the instrument. (Didn't know exactly how to phrase this one so I copy and pasted over from Wikipedia)

Notes:

Because shit gets realz when the 'rents bust out the middle names.

This is my last update until after Thanksgiving; my schedules all over the place between my two jobs and school so it's gonna be slow going until everything mellows back down.

I just love jumping around with what role Medusa plays, don't I? Because since she's a good guy now she's probably going to be a villain again in my next fic. *Shrugs* Such is life, I guess.

Also, still need a weigh-in for this story, folks; to lemon or not to lemon? That is the question! And I could really use an answer, please~! :3

Next Chapter:

Maka decides to vent about her current situation at school to her beloved pen pals and pray they can give her some advice. Soul and Black*Star find out exactly what has been going on between William Evans and Kami Albarn; Soul gets sick as a result to either that or another strange stimuli. And, as you most likely noticed, Black*Star gets to make his first appearance! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Three: This Stupid Stakeout

Things had been a strange mix of comfortable and awkward for Maka; she had a growing suspicion that every month her life would just take a sharp turn in one direction or the other at this point. After her suspension, she and Soul could do nothing more than shoot one another a dirty look when his father wasn't looking. Without their usual banter and jabs at one another she was feeling more pent-up frustration that she channeled into energy for practicing. One the other hand, she and Kami had sat down and talked things out when she returned home the night of her suspension. They had reached an agreement; during the week, Kami would stay home to spend time with Maka but on the weekends she could go on dates as much as she liked. It worked out well since her daughter usually spent her weekends hanging out with her friends.

"It's good you worked it all out, though," Tsubaki remarked casually. Currently, she, Maka, Patty and Liz were sitting in a Starbucks shooting the breeze as per their usual routine. Maka's pink net book was set in front of her, a tazo iced green tea latte next to it on the right. Tsubaki had the same drink as her and was seated across from her. Patty was to Maka's left, chugging her double chocolate chip frappuccino like a man in a desert would drink water, and Liz was to her right with an iced caramel macchiato. "I mean things with your mother, of course."

"Like I'd ever work things out with that stupid jerk Soul," Maka scoffed, rolling her eyes and clacking away at her laptop. She was currently sending an email to a few of her friends that worked with her mother. Every week or so, she and her friends would get together and send a group email. Maka's friends Chrona and Ragnarok had spent summers with them all and built strong bonds with the other three girls; therefore, they'd just send one email with a portion written by each girl. They had decided to get together today because Thanksgiving was in two days and they'd all be going different places to celebrate said festivity. She had already let her friends take their turns and now it was her own. "I'm actually at a loss of how to handle him so I'm getting some more opinions."

"Maka, you mean to say you're asking all of them for help?" Tsubaki squeaked nervously. All eyes turned to her now and she blushed a bit. "I-I just don't know if it's such a good idea…"

"Why not? They'll definitely have a few ideas that could be really helpful to Maka here," Liz said with a shrug.

"Yes, but they are all known for their… How should I say… Outrageous personalities and may not have the best reactions to the news," She said carefully. The other three just stared at their voice of reason as if she'd sprouted another head. "I just think that you should take what they say with a grain of salt and be careful how you phrase what you mean."

"You do have a point," Maka mumbled around the straw of her drink. She chewed it a little bit before clacking away at the keyboard again. "I'm just going to let them know what's going on but I'll tell them I already know how to handle it myself. That way they can just worry about sympathizing with me or something."

"That would definitely be a good idea, in my opinion," Tsubaki said with clear relief in her tone of voice. Maka nodded, clicked send, and then closed the window once the message was sent. She then shut her laptop, stretched and yawned lightly. "So should we decide when we're going to do our Christmas shopping trips for family together?"

"Hmm. Well, I've already what I'm getting the three of you; I just need to pick up the items," Maka commented calmly. All four girls had weekend jobs at different places; Maka worked at a small café owned by an old family friend, Tsubaki worked in her parent's sushi bar, Patty had a job in a gift shop at Death City Zoo, and Liz had the terrible luck of working at a fast food place called Windy's (1). They were just lucky that they were all given the time off for Thanksgiving break because they were students. "How about we go after we get our Secret Santa's for orchestra or choir?"

"Are you sure that Mr. Evans is going to let us do a gift exchange this year?" Patty asked curiously. The other blonde nodded while taking another sip of her drink.

"Of course; it's an orchestra class tradition. I'll bet you anything we'll be drawing names on Monday, so once we get our schedules for next week we can decide which day we'll get all our shopping done. Between then and now, we're just responsible for getting gifts for one another then," Liz added on with a grin. She took another sip of her own drink and let out a long, content sigh. "Why do these things have to be so damn tasty? It's totally criminal between the delightful taste and the price they charge you for it."

"Amen to that," Maka agreed while Patty and Tsubaki giggled and nodded their agreement. She then perked up when her cell phone started buzzing. She looked down to find her mother was calling. "Hold on, guys." She said while pulling out her phone and flipping it open. "Hey Mama. What's up?" She asked in a curious yet cheerful tone of voice.

"Not much, doll. I was going to say, if you'd like, I can take you to pick up those gifts you need for your friends in a few minutes," She said cheerfully. Emerald orbs shimmered in confusion at this offer. She had been planning on asking her mother for a ride later that evening, after they finished getting things together for her going to her grandparents for the holiday weekend, but this was interesting to her.

"Sure. I'm hanging out at the Starbucks a few blocks from the house with Liz, Patty and Tsubaki," She stated happily. After quick 'good-bye's and 'I love you's, she hung up and made a small face. "I have this feeling that my Mama wants to ask me something and figured doing me a favor would work well for her."

"Maybe she just really wants to do you a favor," Tsubaki said gently. Liz made a small noise in the back of her throat and rolled her eyes.

"I think Maka's right to be skeptical about it; think about everything that's happened since the school year started up," Liz said calmly. Patty nodded lightly.

"Yeah, sis kind of has a point," The younger sibling agreed gently. Maka slipped her little laptop into its small black laptop case and stood up. She made sure to grab her drink as well.

"Oh well," Maka said while shrugging the strap onto her shoulder. The other three girls looked up at her curiously. "I guess I'll just wait and see what my Mama does or doesn't want to ask me. I'll see you guys later, okay?"

"Okay," the other three said in unison. She waved at them and turned, heading out just as her mother pulled up. She slipped into the driver's seat eagerly and buckled up, flashing her mother a quick smile before paying her attention to getting herself safely belted in.

"I just need to hit the mall downtown; the stores with their gifts are there," Maka explained as the car slid out and waited to turn onto the street. "So how was work today?"

"It was alright. Medusa and I got a chance to discuss numbers in regards to Spellcasters ticket sales and things look great. They're our most popular band right now and it isn't hard to tell why," Kami said simply. Maka smiled and nodded happily. "I assume school was okay?" She asked, glancing at her daughter at a red light.

"Having a half day helped; plus Tsubaki didn't have cheerleading practice so we actually got to hang out with her for the first time in a while," She stated. She then sighed lightly. "I'm still getting used to the whole No-Fighting-With-Soul thing, though. It isn't easy either; I have all these witty remarks to make but I'm not allowed to."

"It's better that you keep it inside, though," The older woman said with a small tone of warning to her words. Her daughter merely sighed and nodded, leaning back in her seat and relaxing. Things had been nice and comfortable for them lately, what with the new arrangement they had going. It made Kami weary of making her next request. "Now, Maka, I had wanted to ask you a favor."

"What's up, Mama?" She asked, turning and looking at her calmly. She had been right to assume her mother needed a favor, apparently.

"Well, since we'll be with your grandparents all weekend, I was going to go see my friend tonight for dinner," She said cautiously. Maka had noticed that it was, from what she could gather, always the same guy her mother was going on with the last few weeks which she was grateful with. It was nice to see her mother had someone she liked to go out with more than once; Hell, perhaps even a guy her mother would feel comfortable enough with to introduce Maka to him. "But only if you're comfortable with it, since it is a weekday."

Maka smiled and shrugged a bit. "That's fine, Mama. I was probably just going to pack, wrap my friends' presents, and then practice my viola before heading to bed since we have to be up pretty early tomorrow," She said casually. She was glad that her opinion was important in this decision, though; it showed her that Kami cared enough to make sure she was okay with it. She really did want her Mama to find a new love and be happy. She just also wanted to make sure she wasn't neglected in the process.

"Thank you, baby girl," Kami said happily, turning onto the street that would lead them into the heart of downtown. The rest of the car ride was spent in pleasant silence.

…

Soul had never really thought to ever do the outlandish things his best friend, Black*Star, suggested to him after one failed incident. When they were six, the other male had suggested that they hang upside down from the ceiling in his parent's bedroom to hear what they were getting him for his birthday. They had ended up causing a small portion of the ceiling to collapse, giving them both quite a few painful bruises and bumps. Soul had promised his mother then that he'd never get involved in one of Black*Star's "energetic ideas" ever again.

'_Sorry, Mother,'_ He thought with a sigh as he finished yanking on his only black turtleneck sweater. He looked at himself, dressed in all black, in the mirror of his room. _'I can't keep that promise… But I need to know what the Hell is going on here.'_

In the last month or so, William Evans had started dating a woman his sons had yet to meet. And this severally irked his youngest offspring.

When he voiced his concerns to Black*Star (since his older brother had given him the advice of "Let it be,"), the other suggested they stalk William Evans on one of his dates. So now, merely ten minutes after his father had left to meet up with his lady friend, Soul was walking down the stairs to head out. Wesley Evans, seated on the couch with some music station on while he clacked away at his laptop, glanced up and stared at him. He removed his reading glasses and smiled lightly, brow raised. "So, what up with the emo shark costume?"

"Real funny, Wes," Soul barked out flatly. He then glanced up at the television to see the music video his brother had been half watching. The singer, a woman, was standing in front of a microphone in the middle of the desert wearing nothing but a strapless black top that looked better suited as a bra and a pair of white leather booty shorts. It was paired with knee high black leather heels and a witch's hat was tilted to the left of her head. Her indigo locks were set loose, flying about her wildly in the apparent wind, and her golden orbs flickered wickedly. "I didn't know you liked Spellcasters."

_I watched his wildest dreams come true  
>Not one of them involving you<br>Just watch my wildest dreams come true  
>Not one of them involving.<em>

"One of my roommates back at the dorms has the hots for the bass player and was always blaring their music. It eventually grew on me," He said simply with a shrug. He chuckled lightly and shook his head. "Though, I must admit, their music videos are always just artistically riveting." He said, looking at the screen with mild interest.

Or, more honestly, the singer's rather generous breasts.

Soul rolled his eyes a bit but did let out a quick, "Whatever." The older sibling peered over the couch at him as he shoved on his sneakers.

"Have fun stalking dad and his lady friend," He commented. Soul grunted once in response. "Don't get caught. And, no matter what Black*Star says, don't try anything that seems excessive." Another grunt and he was chuckling lightly. "I'll make sure to leave a freshly burned disc of wrist-slitting worthy music out for you, too."

"Go to Hell, Wes," Soul barked out in annoyance before slamming the door with his exit. Black*Star was waiting out front, chaining his bike up to the tree in the front yard, with a camera dangling from his neck by a long, think black lanyard. "My dad said that he and this chick are eating at the Applebee's a few miles in town. I guess they wanted to have a casual night to just drink and gab before tomorrow's festivities." He explained. Because of Black*Star's lack of family, he always ate Thanksgiving dinner with the Evans family. Soul's grandparents and bitchy aunts would be coming by, too, and he was not looking forward to that; his cousin Reginald was such a pompous ass it made him actually lose his cool and want to punch things.

"Awesome! Let's get going," Black*Star beamed, running across the lawn and back onto the sidewalk. Soul sighed and followed him with his hands shoved into his pockets. Only three minutes into the whole plan and already Soul had an uneasy feeling about it. "If Tsubaki asks, we borrowed the yearbook camera she was using to take pictures of nocturnal animals for Stein's science class."

"Wait, that's Tsubaki's editor camera from yearbook?" Soul asked, pointing to the large object. The other grinned like the Cheshire Cat and nodded his head frantically. "Isn't this a gross misuse of her authority as the top editor of that club?"

"She said as long as we don't break it that it's fine. Plus she taught me how to upload the pictures from the camera so we'll be able to delete the evidence no problem," He laughed happily. Soul merely shook his head and turned his attention back to their trek. Black*Star was his best friend but he was also a complete idiot; their cheerleading friend Tsubaki had the biggest crush on the meathead known to man. Soul saw that, to some degree, Black*Star tended to use her despite it being unintentional. After all, Black*Star wasn't the brightest crayon in the box and Tsubaki hadn't exactly come right out and admitted she liked him; it was more a subtle thing you picked up on as you watched them interacting with one another.

"Let's hurry this up; I still need to clean my room before we go to pick my family up at the airport tomorrow morning," Soul grumbled lowly. Why hadn't he just cleaned it when he got home from school? He had been too busy killing zombies (2); letting his frustrations at not getting to banter with Maka Albarn out since he couldn't lash out at school.

Why did Shinigami-Sama have to bring the hammer down on them so hard, anyway? It was their first offense.

His attention was returned to the subject as hand of stalking his dad. He and Black*Star took twenty minutes to walk to the restaurant, slapping quick hi-five when they saw William's car still resting in the parking lot. They slunk over and peered in the windows, looking around for any sign of the older male. Both perked up when they saw him seated at a booth at the window next to them, alone.

"His date must be in the shitter or somethin',"Black*Star said as he picked up the heavy black camera. Soul made a face at him but the blue haired male chose to ignore it. "Now all we have to do is wait for her to come back and then snap some photos."

"Sounds easy enough," Soul said while rolling his shoulders a bit. His stomach was twisting up in knots; who could this mystery woman be? His father wasn't an easy guy to impress so this had to be some kind of woman. He perked up when his father glanced up and smiled at an approaching figure. "Get the camera ready, Star! This is the big moment!" He hissed softly, shoving the other a bit in the arm.

It was then that they saw the figure of Kami Albarn, wearing a snug strapless red dress and matching heels.

"Oh my God!" Soul yelped, stumbling backwards and tripping over one of the decorative shrubs. He hits the asphalt, eyes wide with horror, while a laughing Black*Star snapped frantic photos. The down side? The idiot forgot to turn off the flash, alerting the two adults to the teens in hiding. "My dad… My dad is **dating the thing** that **spawned Maka Albarn**!" He cried out in hysterics. This couldn't be happening; Soul didn't deserve something so terrible to happen to him!

"Oh, shit! We gotta book it, dude! They totally saw us!" The other male squeaked as he ran over, grabbing Soul and yanking him up by his arm. A dizzy spell suddenly hit Soul, causing his body to tense up and remain rotted to his spot. Suddenly, he let out an 'urp' noise. Alerted by this sound, Black*Star stopped and turned to face him, leaning a little closer. "Hey, dude, you okay?"

And then, Soul Evans tossed his cookies all over his best friend and Tsubaki's precious, expensive camera.

"Aw, sick!" The other screamed, voice hitting octaves only a pre-puberty little girl should be able to hit, just as Kami and Will came running out.

"What the- Oh, Soul, are you okay?" Will gasped, running over to his now swaying son. Kami hd a hand to her mouth, eyes wide with concern, and walked over slowly. One of Will's arms gently wrapped around his son's shoulders, pulling him closer. He pressed a hand to his forehead and blinked a bit. "No fever, so why did he get sick?"

"Who cares? This is so sick! And it smells like spoiled milk!" Black*Star rambled on. This caught the other's attention, ruby orbs immediately fixing on his son.

"Soul, did you drink from the carton of milk I left on the counter by the sink?" He asked gently. The other nodded and made another displeased noise. "Damnit! I told Wesley to dump that stuff down the garbage disposal because it went bad two weeks ago!" He growled lowly before turning to Kami. "Sorry to cut this short, but I need to get him to the hospital; his stomach is going to need to get pumped."

"Don't sweat it," Kami said gently. She turned her attention to the cursing Black*Star. "Hey, kid, come with me and I'll give you a ride home. I highly doubt you want to trek back to your place covered in vomit."

"Thanks," He grumbled. After a quick peck to one another, Will led Soul to his car while Kami headed off with Black*Star.

…

After a rather uncomfortable car ride home (specifically because of how terrible it smelt), Kami Albarn walked back into her house. "I'm home, girls," She sighed lightly. Liz, Patty and Tsubaki had decided to come watch a few movies with Maka since Kami was out for the night, although all knew they'd have to wake up early to leave. All four girls peered up from their position on the floor, gathered around the coffee table in the living room, with a deck of cards between them. "What are you all up to?" She asked while flopping down on the couch.

"We got bored with the movies so we decided to play bullshit instead," Maka explained gently. She glanced at her mom worriedly. "How was your date?"

"It… Could have been better. Turns out his son and friend followed us with a camera to take pictures," She said calmly. The petite raven haired girl flinched at this, her mind beginning to turn the idea over in her head. "And then his son got sick and threw up on his friend. I had to drive his friend home while my date took his son to the hospital to get his stomach pumped since he chugged some bad milk."

"Wow… That kid must be a total dumbass," Liz snickered while looking at her cards. Maka and the others all laughed and nodded in agreement. Kami decided to just bite her tongue and wait for a better time to tell her daughter that the kid was her arch nemesis.

Why give Maka the delight of holding that over Soul's head?

End

(1) Windy's – Windy's is meant to be a rip-off of Wendy's. One of my friends, who serves as the inspiration behind Liz' character in this story, worked at a Wendy's store for like three years (starting our Sophomore year) before getting the better job at where we work now. So, expect lots of humor to come from this.

(2) This can be viewed as a sort-of shout-out to the magnificent NikoloaiEvans115 and his love of all things zombie. If you haven't read his stories, check'em out. :D

Notes:

Wanted to give Black*Star a reason to freak out; having Soul barf on him (and Tsubaki's camera) seemed like a good idea. And this chapter had ten percent more Tsubaki! Yay! :D

Keep that music video they watched in mind; it'll have a deeper meaning in the later chapters. Although I'm pretty sure everyone knows where I'm going with this sad attempt at a plot twist. :/

Next Chapter:

Maka's mind is left reeling when, two weeks before Christmas, Kami tells her she's been dating William Evans since she and Soul got into their little fist fight; she's even more thrown off kilter when her mom uses the dreaded "M" word. Soul mourns the loss of his gaming room while telling Wesley about the dreaded beast he rivals with; Wesley, needless to say, is not intimidated. A Secret Santa gift exchange in orchestra reveals more about the relationships within the group than anyone really expected.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Four: This Stupid Secret Santa

William Evans shook the large top hot and smiled at the class. "Okay, everyone, I know that you've always done a Secret Santa gift exchange in this class so I figure we should keep the tradition alive," He said cheerfully. A few of the students groaned while others grinned and exchanged eager glances. "I've put everyone's names in here and we'll start out with our bass section, followed by cellos, violas and then the violins. Soul, you'll get in line with the violins." He explained, holding out the hat.

"Is this all we're doing today?" Kid asked curiously.

"Ah, no," William said calmly. He held up his attendance board and looked at it. "We'll be working on our Christmas concert selections in sectionals today. First violins and Soul, you'll be staying in the main room for your work. Second violins, you'll be going into the jazz band room for your work." He said, pointing to a door next to the entrance to his office. The orchestra room had, at one point, been the band room and still held a lot of bands necessities, including the jazz band room and a huge room where all the marching uniforms were kept. Maka and Liz exchanged glances, their fingers crossed; the only two remaining rooms were the cello/ bass room where said instruments were stored and the uniform room. No offense to the band kids, but sometimes the janitors would "forget" to take the uniforms to the drycleaners and that room would stink to high heaven. "Cellos will be in the uniform room and, lastly, violas and bass you'll be going into the bass room.

"Yes!" Liz mouthed happily, giving her a discreet high five. While everyone waited for their turn to pull a name, they started moving their things and music stands into their rooms. Maka, Liz and Patty rushed into the room first after they got their names. "Okay, who got who?" Liz asked, opening her paper and pausing. "Damnit! I got Ox Ford!" She lamented loudly.

"That sucks, sis~! I got Kilik~!" Patty giggled. All three girls paused, thinking about the hunky leader of the second violins. He was on the track and field team, was great with his instrument, and they had all seen that he was rather rippled at an orchestra pool party at the end of their last year. Oh, yes, Patty was definitely the luckiest of them all!

"Trade with me!" Liz whined, hugging her little sibling tightly. She had comical tears rolling down her face. "Please, Patty! I've been trying to hit on him since forever!"

"No way, sis! You're on your own!" The younger blonde laughed as the rest of their groups walked in. Maka finally opened her own paper and her eyes widened in horror. There, on her paper, were two words that caused her to let out a shriek heard all the way down to the black box. "What's wrong, Maka?" Patty asked, wiggling free of her older sibling.

"I… I got Soul!" She wailed weakly, dropping to her knees and fighting back tears. Patty blinked a few times and knelt beside her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"Do you want me to trade names with you?" She asked gently. Liz perked up and decided to bite her tongue. She could understand why Patty was offering such a thing. In their years of schooling together, Maka and Soul had incredibly enough never received the misfortune of grabbing one another's names. The other blonde shook her head and let out a small whimper.

"No… We're not supposed to and I can't break the rules," She said sadly, forcing herself back up on to her feet. She ran a hand over her face before letting out a deep breath and shoving the piece of paper into the pocket of her school blazer. "Let's get this rehearsal going and I can figure something out in regards to this later." She said, picking up her instrument and flipping to the first song they were to begin practicing.

Meanwhile, a similar crisis was taking place in the regular room.

"I got Liz," Kid said with a small sigh, looking at the elegant cursive of her name. In the last few weeks, the blonde girl from Brooklyn had set her sights on terrorizing him every chance she got. He didn't really try to fight back since, to some degree, he understood why she was so upset. He had committed the crime of siding with Soul Evans in the presence of one of Maka Albarn's friends; everyone in class knew better than that. Hell, he **himself** had known not to do it when he did it! But he had gone and done it anyway and for what reason?

He was still trying to figure that out.

"I got Harvar," Soul commented, calmly clicking on his electric keyboard. Harvar was a cool guy who was the second chair cellist. He and the other hung out in the same group but were not particularly close. It wasn't really the worst name he could have chosen but to the albino it also wasn't the best. If he was honest with himself, he had been crossing his fingers and sort of praying to pull Maka's name from the hat.

After all, maybe if he got her and bought her a good enough gift she'd really let go of this stupid grudge she was holding over his head. Even though the two could no longer banter as they had for years there were times he'd find her eyes straying to him and turning a strange mix of hard and vulnerable. When he would see her without her realizing he had realized she was staring, her eyes would darken and glint with hatred and some other emotion he could only estimate. He was stuck between heart-broken and remorseful, which made very little sense to him when he thought about it.

Maka was not the type of girl who apologized or forgave easily, as he'd learned these many years going to school with her. Also, knowing that their parents were officially dating, he had a growing suspicion that they were going to see a lot of each other soon enough. His father had told him on the way to school that, from the way things were looking, Kami and Maka would be moving in with them once the winter holiday break started up. He had hoped to sweep things under the rug with her before the move-in started because he didn't want things to be too terribly awkward between them.

Then again, she still didn't know and he wasn't used to having women living with him anymore so there was no way they were going to get away with things being not awkward.

"Oh well, let's get started," Soul sighed lightly, cracking his knuckles lightly. He flipped through his sheet music until he reached the first song for rehearsal. "So far it seems like we're having trouble with the melody between measures 33 and 67 so let's start there."

…

Maka was pissed, to say the least, when she got off of work that Saturday afternoon. The night before her mother had come home with tons of boxes and explained everything to her. "Maka, this boyfriend of mine… He and I are getting really serious," Kami had said while sitting her down. She had nodded patiently, wondering if this was going to be a conversation about meeting the man and his two children. "And he and I… Well, we know each other very well. We grew up together and William has always understood me very well, and I the same with him."

"Wait, did you say William?" She asked nervously. Her mother flashed her a small smile and nodded slightly. "As in William **Evans**? **Soul's Daddy**?" She yelped, her voice catching and getting a touch shrill.

"Sweetie, please calm down," Kami said carefully. Her daughter just continued staring at her as if she had sprouted two extra heads. "Will is the first man I've connected with in a deep way and there's some history there. I know that he would never intentionally hurt me and that he'll be sure to respect your boundaries. He's already started working on getting a room ready for you, as well as setting down ground rules with Soul and Wesley."

"You're dating the man who spawned and raised my arch nemesis," Maka said vacantly, slowly standing. She turned and started heading toward her room, the words processing in yet not processing at the same time. This meant moving in with Soul Evans. This meant her mother had made out with Soul's father. This meant she'd be under the same roof as Soul Evans and, more than likely, would have to deal with his obnoxious friends on a near daily basis.

But the worst thing of all was that this meant that **Soul Evans** was her new **big brother**.

It wasn't until she had a few shitty customers that her mind finally caught up with what her mother had told her that night. Ever since, she had been wearing a mask of politeness and kindness while she was festering with rage inside. This was the breaking point for Maka Albarn; her Mama could no longer be trusted. She pulled the sheet of paper she had received in orchestra with Soul's name on it out and glared at it, reading his list of likes and dislikes. Since she'd gotten off early she figured she could hit one of the shops in the same plaza as her place of employment and pick up his gift before taking the bus to her next destination. "I should buy a tacky tie just because he hates them," She grumbled bitterly to herself.

She entered the closest store she found and started looking around. It was a car part store but Maka was past the point of caring. Maybe they'd have a keychain or something like that she could get for him. She sighed and roamed the aisles aimlessly, looking at various things and brushing off any employees who offered her any assistance. She looked at her watch and sighed a little bit; the bus wouldn't be here to get her for another thirty minutes. She paused when two items next to one another caught her attention, causing her to pluck them from their hanging spots and looking them over. "Excuse me," She said to an employee whom had come to approach her again.

"Yes?" He asked cheerfully.

"How much are these? There isn't a price tag on either of them," She explained casually. She followed him over to the counter where he pulled out a large black binder that seemed to be overstuffed with papers.

"They're both on sale right now, from the looks of it. Only about eighteen dollars before tax," He explained calmly. She nodded, setting the object down. There was no spending limit for the Secret Santa but she hadn't really wanted to spend more than twenty dollars.

"Do you offer gift wrapping?" She asked curiously. The man blinked and flashed her a troubled smile before shaking his head. "Oh, well. I guess I can just go to one of the other shops, buy something and get them to wrap it there. Thanks, anyway." She said, taking the bag after handing over the amount necessary.

She headed over to the bookshop in the plaza, picked up a few more books to read over the upcoming vacation, and got her gift wrapped as well. She then rushed out just in time to catch the bus. It dropped her off at the Windy's Liz worked at and she smiled a little bit. Tonight she, Liz, Patty and Tsubaki were going to hang out at the Thompson sister's house. She figured that then she'd be able to come clean with everything her mother had dropped on her plate.

She walked in and saw a rather annoyed looking Liz at the register. The dirty blonde perked up immediately upon sight of her and waved her over frantically. "Thank God you're here, Maka! It's so dead and my manager is refusing to let any of us go early! He said something about the possibility of a rush or some bullshit that doesn't make any sense," She grumbled lightly. The green eyed girl giggled lightly at this. "So, how was work?"

"Sucked, same as usual," Maka shrugged. She then pulled out a five dollar bill from her wallet. "One large fry and two large drinks, please." Liz rang it up, gave her the change, and Maka filled the drinks at the fountain. When she returned she held one out to her friend. "Your manager just went into the office with one of your co-workers so we have some time. Feel free to chug some of yours and we can refill it on the way out later."

"Maka Albarn, you are an angel," Liz sighed happily, taking a huge sip from her drink. She sighed happily before walking off and returning with the fresh fries. Maka got two little paper cups of ketchup and the two started munching on them. "So what's with the bag? Didn't think you were the type interested in taking apart car engines." Liz remarked, pointing to one of the bags Maka had looped around her wrist.

"Oh, it's Soul's gift for the Secret Santa," She shrugged calmly. She then sighed and blew a strand of loose hair from her face. "Oh, Liz, things are even worse than I thought they could get. I'm not a really bad person so why do bad things keep happening to me? I work hard in school, I try my best to get to know people before passing judgment on them, and the only person I can say I really hate is Soul Evans! So how is it that God doesn't think that's good enough to cut me a little slack from time to time?" She asked sadly, tossing a fry into her mouth at the end.

"What happened this time?" The other girl asked with a raised eyebrow. She then dipped another fry in some ketchup and tossed it in her own mouth.

Ashy strands whipped around as Maka shook her head. "I don't want to tell you while you're still working. Tonight, at your house, I'll explain the whole situation to you," She said gently. Liz nodded before flashing her a small smile, reaching out and setting her hand on her shoulder.

"Whatever it is, Maka, we'll find a way to work through it. Patty, Tsubaki and I are always going to be here for you," She said gently. The other gave her a weak smile, a small bit of warmth and relief pushing into her heart at her friends words.

Sometimes Maka forgot how truly blessed she was to have such wonderful friends. "Thank you, Liz," She said with all the sincerity in the world.

…

Soul was grumbling as he sat on the couch, trying to ignore the painters' waltzing around their house. They were redecorating Soul's old video game room into a bedroom for Maka and he was just a little touchy because of the whole thing. "What's wrong with you now, emo shark?" Wesley asked as he walked in, flopping into the armchair next to the couch Soul was residing on.

"Stop calling me that!" Soul growled lowly. Ever since his little spy mission with Black*Star, his brother had coined that "adorable pet name" for him.

"Would you prefer I call you something else? Like Sir Pukes-A-Lot?" The older boy continued to prod. Soul remained silent, eyes narrowed at his brother, but was answered by his brother's usual smile. "That's what I thought. Now, you've been in a funk ever since Dad told us that his girlfriend and her daughter are moving in. Is it just because you're not going to have your secret nerd hideout anymore?"

"Do you even know who he's dating?" Soul snapped out harshly. The other just shrugged and rolled one of his hands in a circle, indicating his brother was to continue. "He's dating Kami Albarn!"

"Albarn… That names sounds familiar… How do I know that name?" Wes mused in honest confusion.

"It's the name of that loud-mouthed, flat chested monster that has been tormenting me for years!" The younger sibling barked out angrily, hand clenching at the arm of the couch. If his nails were a little longer he may have actually punctured the fabric.

"Oh, that's right! The viola player, right? Maka Albarn, the girl with the pigtails?" He asked, lightly patting his fist into the palm of his hand. He chuckled lightly at his older brother, one brow rising skeptically. "**That's** the girl you call 'the demon' and always complain about with Black*Star and Kid? She's just a sweet little girl that isn't falling for your cool-guy persona!"

"No, she's had it in for me since the minute she walked through that classroom door!" The other snapped back, standing up and pointing a finger in his brother's face. The other blinked a bit before looking up at him, bemused. "You've only seen the side of her she uses in public is the problem! Once she's living under this roof, here all the time, you'll see it! I didn't even do anything to set her off and she just hates me!" He remembered when she was introduced to the class as a new student (since the grade school portion of the academy rarely took new students in at the start of any year unless they were a kindergarten) and she had spotted him.

"You're that meanie with the stupid hair who said those mean things to me!" She had declared, eyes starting to brim with tears. He had stared at her for a moment before tilting his head and raising an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about?" He had barked back flatly. He then snorted and turned back to his piano. "You must be confusing me with someone else. I've never seen you before and I certainly haven't talked to you until now." She had stared at him for a long moment and he could see her falling apart on the inside. He swallowed down a bitter feeling and decided he might want to not give her a real reason to hate him.

It was from that moment on that she was set on surpassing and hating him.

"I didn't do anything to her," Soul mumbled lightly, snapping back to the present and letting his arm fall back to his side. Wes stared at the somber expression on his brother's face for a second before speaking up again.

"Are you absolutely sure about that, Soul? Is there any chance you said or did something to make her hate you as much as you think she does?" He asked cautiously. He knew to tread lightly with his brother's thoughts and feelings.

"I'm absolutely sure," Soul sighed before sinking back into his seat. He looked at the television screen without really seeing it. Something was nagging at the back of mind, now that Wesley asked him. Was it possible he really had done something, but had blocked it out?

…

Maka sighed lightly as she helped rearrange all of the chairs into a large, wide circle around the conductor's podium. The winter concert had been that night and gone over a lot better than she thought. It was the first time in years where all their songs sounded ready for debut and it had been a feather in her cap. Afterwards, however, she had been forced into going to dinner with her teacher and his two sons. Given first impressions, William and Wesley were both nice, polite gentlemen; it left her more than a little confused as to how they could be like that while Soul was… Well, Soul was Soul.

The two of them had spent the majority of the night have a secret kicking war under the table since they were seated across from one another. Maka had won, in the end when she jabbed the edge of her heel right into the part where his foot curved into his leg, and that was all that mattered in regards to that. Other than that, she had been told that tonight she'd begin packing her things up since they'd start moving boxes over in two days. She had relayed this information to Liz and the others only to be met with ferocious support of her emotional well being. When she had told them about what was going on with her mother and Soul's father, they had all been stunned (though, she realized now, Tsubaki seemed more nervous than shocked). Ever since, Liz and Patty had been giving Soul the stink eye but resisted the urge to do anything else at Maka's own request.

Now, she flopped down with one of the siblings on either side of her. She had Soul's present resting in her lap in its green wrapping paper with chubby little Santa's all over it. It had, sadly, been the only wrapping paper the book store had on hand at the time. As the rest of the students waltzed in she noticed Soul was sitting so that he was across the circle from her, staring at her with some emotion that was a mix between annoyance and fascination. It unsettled her. She turned and started a conversation with Patty about the new baby giraffe at the zoo, just to be distracted by the weight of his gaze.

Liz noticed this as well but decided to handle it later on.

"Okay, class," William said as he sat down at the podium. All eyes turned to him and he smiled at them. "You were all fantastic last night. After talking with the head master, we're going to be going to a state ensemble contest in late February. Over the winter break, I want you all to rest and relax and practice when you can. When we get back we'll pick two songs from this concert and we'll have a vote after some sight reading about what else we want to play."

"Wait, are you saying you're going to let **us** pick what we get to play at a **competition**?" Liz asked with a raised brow. He blinked, taken aback by the question, before nodding calmly. She chuckled and stood, clapping her hands. "I think that Mr. Evans earned a little love for that, don't you all?" She asked calmly.

The rest of the class, even Maka and Kid, joined in with claps, whistles and enthusiastic cheers of his name. Their teacher flushed lightly, not realizing his decision would carry so much weight with the group. In all their years, the class had never liked a single piece they played at competition and their other instructors hadn't cared one bit. But this was an exciting new experience! They would get to pick their set list and they'd actually enjoy practicing on their own time!

"Anyway," He chuckled lightly, quieting them back down, "shall we get started with the gift exchange?" The students all nodded and the first volunteer offered up their gift. It was a gift for Kid; a set of eight symmetrical pins for his school blazer.

Kid's gift for Liz had been a cute little charm bracelet with two charms of a little case of lipstick and a little music note already attached to it. "Wow… Thanks," She said slowly, glancing up at him with a faint blush. Didn't guys only get jewelry for girls they liked? He merely nodded while Maka helped get the little trinket set on Liz' wrist.

It continued on, going from student to student until it got to Patty, whom had received a giraffe doll and a package of origami paper from one of the cello players. "I got Kilik~!" She announced happily, walking over to the young man and handing over a large green bag to him. When he opened the bag it revealed to be a set of knew boxing gloves. He grinned at her.

"Thanks, Patty," He said merrily.

"No problem~!" She giggled happily, a faint blush on her cheeks. Kilik set the gloves down and picked up his own gift, a purple bag with orange tissue paper sticking out. He walked over and stopped in front of Maka, grinning as he held out the bag.

"I got Maka," He said calmly. Once she took the bag he returned to his seat and she started shifting through the bag, trying to be as quiet as possible. She gasped and her eyes lit up as she pulled out three hardcover books.

"The whole Hunger Games trilogy! Thank you so much, Kilik!" She gushed happily, eyes alive with pure joy. Soul twitched a bit and blinked, having never seen her so filled with adoration. Kilik was a smooth one, apparently.

"My pleasure," He grinned, flashing her a peace sign as he relaxed in his chair. Maka giggled happily before handing her books to Liz and standing up, her own present in her hands. She then turned and walked toward Soul, smile still in place.

For a moment, he thought he had finally lost his mind. It wasn't until she held the box out to him that he snapped up and realized he wasn't just delusional. "I got you, Soul," She said in calm kind of voice. He slowly took the box, still keeping his eyes locked hers. Their fingers brushed in the exchange and he swore he felt fireworks go off in his stomach. Then she returned to her seat and got resituated as if she hadn't just baffled the Hell out of him.

He turned his attention downward and started tearing through the paper. He opened the white box and blinked, doing a double take to make sure he wasn't mistaken. There, resting in the box, was a pair of black motorcycle goggles with a red stripes down the center of the strap that goes along the back of the head and a pair of fingerless leather motorcycle gloves. He pulled them out and looked them over, feeling the new leather against the pad of his thumbs. He looked up at Maka, seeming her somewhat concerned expression. Instead of doing the polite thing, he merely smirked at her. "Cool," He said simply, and this seemed to satisfy her. He then handed his gift off to Harvar, finishing the gift exchange and leaving everyone to do what they wanted until the bell rang.

After class, he aimed to follow Maka and give her a more formal sign of gratitude for the gloves and goggles. His own set had actually been run-down to uselessness so this had been perfect. His only question was how she knew; she didn't talk to his friends and he had never specified that he drove a motorcycle in front of her.

Instead of finding Maka, however, he was greeted by a scowling Liz Thompson.

"Where's Maka?" He asked, looking over her shoulder. He saw the briefest glint of golden pigtails disappearing into the ladies restrooms. "I need to talk to her." He said calmly, stepping back a bit.

"We're going to talk first, actually," Liz said in a menacing tone that didn't sit well with him. She stepped toward him, grabbed his shirt, and shoved him into the nearest wall. Soul grabbed her wrist and glared, set on prying her off and taking her down if he had to. He didn't normally like fighting girls but he had hit Maka before; what was the difference between that and hitting her thug-like best friend? "Maka told me about your parents."

"Not surprising," Soul scoffed while rolling his eyes. The young lady responded by pulling him forward a bit before shoving him back in place.

"Don't get smart with me, Evans," She hissed angrily, eyes ablaze. He fell silent and watched her, deciding it was most likely in his best interest to not set her off again. "Now, I also know that Maka will be moving in with you over this vacation. She's a sweet girl, a delicate girl, more so than you could ever know. There have been times where you've said things that make her cry and the only reason I haven't thrown you in a trash can is because she tells me you aren't worth it. Well, I'm here to tell you that I will destroy you if you try any funny business. And believe me; if you try something funny I'll be the first to know and I won't come get you alone. Capiche?" She asked while releasing him.

He straightened out his jacket and stared at her as she turned to leave. "Why are you so protective of her?"

She paused in her steps and glared at him. "I'm not at liberty to explain myself to you," She barked before heading off to catch up with her friends.

End

Notes:

Happy Holidays to you all, you lovelies you~! I was hoping to do something a little more romantic for the current season but I figured a strange cross between fluff and comedy was a bit more my style at this point. Also uploaded a Christmas one-shot too! I hope all your desires for this season come true and I look forward to entertaining you all in the upcoming year~! It's my New Year's resolution to cut soda out of my diet, update more often and take the time to review since I'm as guilty as some others out there. If you have a story you'd like to suggest to me, feel free to drop me a PM. :3

Confession time: I have the ultimate crush on Kilik. What can I say? He's a hunk~!

I have a casual poll uploaded on my account; not something serious, just my own curiosity as to what you viewers think.

Also, regarding the scene after Maka reveals who she got, I felt it makes sense for the Thompson sisters to be so understanding. Patty and Liz would probably be good at comforting anyone, given in the canon they have to live with Kid.

Hope you all loved this chapter, by the way~!

Next Chapter:

Maka and Soul have a strange bonding moment that leaves them both unsure of how to feel or react; they decide to try and push it to the back of their minds for the time being. Chrona gets to show up as a character that will make a more permanent slot in the story; Ragnarok comes as a free bonus. We are all informed that bullying is bad by a few surprise guests.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Five: This Stupid Campaign

She was always so happy when they received Maka's e-mails; sometimes the others wondered if it was healthy how much joy she derived from it. This last message, however, had sent them all reeling at the knowledge that **their little Maka** had been **suspended** for fighting with a bully. Now they were scowling at their manager, whom regarded them with cool golden orbs. "Are you lot being serious or is it already April Fool's?" She asked calmly, taking a sip from her cup of coffee.

The leader stood up abruptly, hands slamming down on the table and her eyes narrowing to slits. "This is no joke, Medusa! Maka needs our help!"

"For once, I agree with her," Another feminine voice chimed in calmly. Two other figures, one male and the other again female, nodded and made noises of agreement. Medusa sighed and shook her head lightly.

"You guys are at the top of the charts right now; joining a campaign is the last thing you need," She argued gently. She took another sip from her coffee before waving a hand dismissively. "You should be more focused on the magazine interviews, photo shoots and the world-wide tour we're getting you all set up for."

"We want to do this first," The man said flatly. Medusa glared at him but he glared right back. "We'd be fighting just as hard if this was about Ragnarok or Chrona; it's our job to watch over our managers' kids like they were our own."

She sighed and shook her head. "Fine, but we'll just go there for a few weeks," She conceded, ignoring the excited squeals the girls released.

"Let's go start packing, ladies!" One girl gushed eagerly, darting out of the room. The other girls followed their leader while the man and the manager watched them leave.

"You know this is going to be good for all of us," He commented gently. Medusa let out a small groaning noise before turning her attention to some paperwork she'd been shifting through when the others had barged into her conference room/ office. "You haven't been able to see Kami in almost a year and I know you're dying to see her. I heard you two on the phone, talking about her new boyfriend and how they've moved their families in together. Maka's probably having a hard time adjusting and Kami could use some advice. You've always been good at offering it to her too."

"I know, Free," She said with a small sigh. She looked up at him and he could see a little bit of excitement flashing in her eyes. "Seeing Kami again will be great, and the boys are dying to see Maka, but I can't just let things go. I mean, we have a schedule to follow and I don't want us to get in trouble for deviating from it."

"Medusa, calm down," He said gently, setting a hand on her shoulder. She stared at the papers on her desk instead of facing him now. "The record company knows better than to try and cause a ruckus over this whole thing. We're their top group right now and, given how bad things are getting for the music industry with all the free music-sharing websites, that means a lot to them. They won't risk losing their meal ticket over something as trivial as a small vacation before we get overly busy."

Honey colored orbs shifted back to him and she laughed, shaking her head at him in slight amazement.

"Free, how can you be so smart in yet so ridiculously stupid most of the time?" She asked lightly. He merely grinned at this.

"It takes a real talent, to be honest," He jeered before heading out as well. He needed to get ready now that he knew he had raised his manager's spirits a little.

…

Maka had heard about some surprise performance taking place instead of their last class at lunch, when Patty shoved one of the fliers under her nose. "Look! Look!" She had said eagerly, jumping up and down and leaving the blonde little chance to read the text. She plucked the sheet away, making sure to be careful of accidently giving herself a paper cut, and read the bolded letters out loud.

"Spellcasters Speakout Against Bullying: The popular pop band will be performing live at Shibusen Academy today as the premier of their anti-bullying campaign. They will spend a few weeks in Death City, visiting schools and spreading the ways to stop bullying, before heading off on their world-wide tour," She said while her eyes widened. Her stomach plummeted to her feet as she realized what was going on. "Is… This is their response to that e-mail I sent them all those weeks ago, isn't it?" She asked shakily.

"Most likely," Liz shrugged, leaning against the trunk of the tree she was sitting near. Maka and her little click hung out in the grassy knoll beside the library. Today it was just she and the Thompson sisters since Tsubaki had to go to some special lunch for the cheerleaders. "I mean, they are some of the closest people to you. If they feel you're being threatened it only makes sense that they fight for you as well."

"I don't need them fighting my battles for me; I can handle myself on my own! I mean, I kicked his ass in that fight we had a few months back and I've got him and his brother whipped back at the house," She said, a sneer turning up on her lips as she spoke. Ah, yes, she had made the Evans boys her personal bitches to say the least. Neither one of them could even boil water and since their parents were normally out and about on the town, cooking became Maka's duty. Through this little trump card she had the two men mopping, sweeping, scrubbing and dusting at a moment's notice.

And if she was meant with protest? Well, both young gents would have to go hungry for the night. "Life's a thrill when you're evil, huh, girls?" Maka mused happily, taking a bite of her sandwich. Liz snickered and shook her head at the other blonde. "Anyway, it'll be nice to not have class today. All the jazz music we've been listening to and playing has been making me nauseous."

"Jazz really pisses you off, huh?" Patty chirped curiously. Maka paused mid-bite and set her food back down, staring at it as if it held the answers.

"It doesn't piss me off… If just makes me feel… Hollow, I guess," She said softly. Her mind flashed to merry summer days spent sitting in the living room. **That man** would always let her listen in as he practiced his new songs. **That man** would always show her how to read sheet music or how to start to develop her vibrato technique. **That man** would always treat her so gently and shower her with so much affection it would leave any little girl drunk on giddiness. **That man** would tell her how much he loved her and how much he wished he could spend every day with her.

**That man** would always tell her such pretty little lies that a young child would never see through.

"Hey, Maka," Liz said suddenly, causing her to jump from her thoughts, "trade me my brownie for that pudding cup you've got."

"What? No way!" She squeaked, pulling the plastic container of chocolate and caramel goo closer to herself. "Those brownies are always stale and taste like crap!"

"Aw, come on Maka!" Liz whined while leaning over and hugging her. The two started a little round of keep-away while Patty watched, perking up when she saw a slight glance of lavender hair entering the main office. She got up and headed off, following the figure inside and finding them talking with Professor Stein, one of the main professor's who helped the headmaster with everything.

"Well, your mother wants to assure you are getting a good education and said you have some friends here. Since you'll be here for about a month or so we look forward to helping you grow as well as seeing your personality shine. We at Shibusen believe that every student deserves to thrive and enjoy their surroundings," He said calmly but he didn't sound sincere about it. It was like a script that the teachers were told to read and retell to all new students. "Anyway, here's your uniform. You're free to participate in the special performance offered this afternoon but you won't be attending any classes until tomorrow. We'll have one of the other students meet up with you in the morning and show you all around campus."

"Y-Yes, sir. T-T-Thank you," He stammered out nervously and immediately Patty grinned. She threw herself into the air and tackled the other student, causing Stein to jump back a bit in alarm and make the poor boy cry out in fear.

"Chrona-Kun~!" She squealed happily, crushing him to her chest. He let out a muffled eep while Stein raised an eyebrow at the pair.

"P-Patty?" He squeaked out lightly. She grinned and nodded, cuddling the top of his head eagerly, while Stein chose this moment to slink away. He blushed a touch but smiled lightly. "I-It's go-good to see you a-again."

"It's good to see you too, Chrona~!" She giggled merrily while getting up. She helped him up before taking his hand and leading him out to the others. "Are you going to stay for the performance? You can hang out in the library until the next class is over and then meet up with us on the way to orchestra."

"I-I was on-only go-going to stay i-if I found you guys," He confessed shyly. Patty's grin widened as she led him over, Maka and Liz letting out excited greeting to him. The rest of lunch hour was good and Maka seemed to have forgotten about the upcoming performance until they were on their way to orchestra.

"This is going to suck," She groaned lowly. Liz gave her shoulder a little clap while Patty and Chrona were chatting behind them.

"Well, at least it gets us out of practice. No jazz music today," She said cheerfully as they headed in. Soul had just walked in as well and overheard the conversation.

"What was that about jazz?" He asked curiously. Maka and the others ignored him while continuing on to the door that led to the main hallway. Will was directing all the children out and making sure to write down that as they came through for attendance. He scowled and followed after them, decided that he was going to have to continue following them.

Soul had noticed Maka's distaste for jazz music over the last few weeks that they were living together. One night, he had turned up his speakers with the new jazz music he had gotten blaring while he played some computer games. She had started pounding on his door and snapped at him to turn the music down. When he asked why she responded by threatening to withhold dinner privileges from both he and Wesley the next night if he didn't. He had agreed for fear of starving but it had left him just a touch bothered.

Therefore, Soul was going to press the matter until he got a straight answer.

He followed Maka and her friends until they got seated and took the spot right behind her. He leaned forward until his head was next to hers. "So why don't you like jazz?" He asked flatly, startling her. She responded by smacking him in the head with a large, thick leather-bound book. He clutched his head and let out a loud noise of pain while the Thompson sisters grinned. "What the hell was that for?" He hissed lowly, rubbing the tender spot on his head while Maka glared at him.

"That is what we experts call a Maka Chop," Liz sneered lightly. She shrugged and turned her attention to the stage, the currents still drawn shut. "If you want to survive around Maka you'll have to learn to either avoid receiving one or just learn to deal with the pain. Pretty hard for a talentless buffoon like you, Evans."

"Go choke on something, Thompson," He snarled out. He ignored the heated glares both siblings sent him and instead focused on the still annoyed Albarn. "So, seriously, what's you deal? I have a shit ton of jazz music I listen to and have a right to do so in my own home."

"Look, I'm sorry I freaked out on you the other night. Jazz music is fine just not… Just not the band you were listening to, okay?" She sighed lightly. He blinked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Why not? Sickle Syndrome is one of the top groups in regards to jazz music nowadays," Soul said calmly. Chrona flinched a bit at the mention of the band, making a few whimpering noises. Ruby orbs shifted to him but, upon Patty setting to settling him back down, he looked back to Maka.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday. For now it's none of your business," She said calmly. She then looked back at Liz. "So did we want to hit the mall after school? I needed to go pick up some books at the store."

"Can't," Liz said gently. She pointed to Patty with her thumb. "The female giraffe at the zoo is having her baby today so Patty's going to do that and they need me to cover a shift this evening. Sorry, Maka."

"I'll take you," Soul offered. She turned back and found him smirking at her a bit. "For a price, that is."

"I'm not going to reveal a personal secret to an idiot I don't trust for a trip to the mall," She barked out flatly.

"Would you accept my offer if all I wanted was a giant pretzel and a smoothie?" He hummed lightly. She stared at him then stuck out her hand to him. He laughed but shook her extended hand anyway. "You're certainly a weird one, Tiny Tits."

"I could say the same about you, Cullen," She barked out with a sinister smirk. Before Soul could lash out at her for calling him after one of the most pathetic excuses for a vampire in the history of the world, the show started up. The Spellcasters were actually standing on the stage, which surprised Soul; he had expected it to be some sort of practical joke!

"Hello, kiddies~! I'm Blair Reynolds, lead singer of Spellcasters! And we're here to give you a performance and spread the world against bullying nyah~!" The leader singer announced, pushing her witch hat up on her head and then curling her hands like cat paws. The boys in the crowd all cheered (including Soul and, surprisingly enough, Kid) while Maka shook her head and sighed.

The show was stunning, to say the least. Everyone adored the songs and a few people actually held up their cell phones instead of lighters, despite the heavy no-cells policy of the school. Maka had laughed when a few teachers tried to bust students; laughed even harder when one of them was Will Evans. Soul had sunk into his seat, grumbling about how uncool it all was.

It was the speech on bullying that everyone sort of tuned out during; including Maka. It was the end, however, that got everyone's attention again and made the poor blonde's heart catch in her throat. "We'll be staying here for about a month or so, meaning we'll be around to answer questions and such. If you all have anything you want to ask, write us a letter and give it to Maka Albarn nyah~!" Blair announced happily. Soul sat up with a stunned look while Maka dropped her head to her hands, moaning lowly. "You see, Maka-Chan is my little God-sister so we'll be residing with her while we're in town~! We look forward to hearing from you nyah~!"

"Did she really just do that?" Liz gaped with a laugh.

"She's going to be in big trouble, huh, sis?" Patty said excitedly.

"Wait, wait! You're close with **THE** Blair Reynolds?" Soul asked Maka in shock. She blushed a slightly darker tint before grabbing his wrist, jumping up and dragging him with her to the nearest exit. They could hear their classmates starting to stir and rush toward them as the house lights lifted.

"Yes now can we go? Getting crushed by a crowd of fan-tards isn't my definition of cool!" She snapped, using that word in hopes it would snap Soul from his little daze. He was her only escape route at this point, after all.

She was relieved to find her theory was correct. "No problem. My bike's parked in this first parking lot anyway," He said simply, slipping his wrist free and leading her along. She was a little confused at this; she thought Soul had an actual car. She had overheard Black*Star saying how lucky Soul was for having a rich parent to buy him an awesome set of wheels.

It wasn't until Maka was staring down on the two-wheeled, motorized beast he had tamely referred to as a "bike" that she understood what the two boys had meant. "No way in Hell am I getting on that death machine," She said flatly. He responded by staring at her like she had just slapped him across the face.

"This is not a death machine! She is a custom-painted 2004 Suzuki GS500F, thank you very much!" He scoffed while stroking the machine's leather seat with his fingertips. "It's okay, darling; the mean lady doesn't know what she's saying." If she hadn't already decided he was brain damaged, Maka may have thought the way he cooed at the metal menace like a tiny infant was weird. She crossed her arms over her chest, stamped one foot and turned away.

"I am not getting on that thing and risking my life! I'll walk home first!" She scoffed while he mounted his bike, making sure to hit the kick stand back into place with the hell of his shoes. She turned so her back was to him, preparing to march away, when a crowd of their peers suddenly appeared from the auditorium.

"There she is!"

"There's Maka! Quick, go get her!"

Faster than Soul thought possible, her protests were tossed to the wayside and she was latched onto him. "Go! Go!" She yelped loudly, clutching to his waist like a drowning man clings to a piece of driftwood. Soul reached back and shoved his helmet (which he had pulled out while she was moving to walk away) on her head while he situated the goggles she'd gotten him over his eyes. He rarely used the helmet simply because it messed with his hair. She started shifting and growling as the crowd approached and he yanked on his gloves. Then, just as one of the kids got close to them, his motorcycle purred to life and they were speeding out of the parking lot in a squeal of tires and feminine shrieks of terror.

"Maka was really scared, wasn't she, sis?" Patty asked from their position in their car. They had been sitting in the parked vehicle, watching the whole scene go down. Chrona was in the back, making frightened little whimpers, while Liz merely grinned.

"Yeah, but it was certainly interesting," She hummed before turning the key in her own ignition. She started backing out calmly while inwardly she festered over the whole thing. She was going to have to work harder now to keep Soul Evans at an arm's length from Maka, to assure the other girl didn't get hurt. "Now, let's get you two where you need to be before big sis is late for work, okay?"

…

Soul was munching on the pretzel he had been promised in their agreement when Maka, glancing up from the large cookie she had purchased for herself, decided to speak. "My mother was the one who found the Spellcasters when they were just rocking out at open-mic nights," She said calmly. He paused in the middle of chewing and looked at her, one brow raised. Was she actually telling him something that could be viewed as remotely personal?

Well, shave him bald and replace all his hair with a tattoo of Black*Star's face!

"Oh yeah?" He asked calmly. He remembered his father mentioning that Kami worked with some record label but he had only been half listening. At the time he had still been very angry about the whole situation with he and Maka's parents.

She nodded and took a quick bite from the cookie. He fought back the urge to laugh when a small smidgen of chocolate remained at the corner of her mouth. "Mama worked with them before they actually started recording. Since Mama used to be a musician herself she helped them polish their sound so it would be more appealing to their target audience," She explained.

"Your mother was a musician?" He asked in surprise. That was a really interesting little nugget of information, in his opinion.

"Yeah. She used to play the harp, actually," She said before taking another bite of her cookie. She perked up and licked the bit of chocolate from her mouth before continuing. "That was how she met… But she stopped playing after she started going to college, because she needed to focus on her studies and everything instead. Once she graduated she used some serious brown-nosing to start climbing the corporate ladder until she started working with Kishin Records. From there it was just a matter of making sure she and Medusa, her close colleague and best friend, found all the next biggest groups."

Soul found himself again forced to bit his tongue. He had noticed the somewhat obvious gap in Maka's logical train of thinking but knew better than to call her on it at this point; he didn't want to take one step forward and then two huge ones back, after all. He instead shrugged and took another bite of his pretzel. "Seems like a pretty typical story to me," She stared at him for a moment before smiling and looking down at her cookie.

It was strange how that smile of hers could be so damn charming in yet so damn heartbreaking at the same time, in his opinion.

"Yeah," She agreed before taking another bite of her cookie. They fell into the first comfortable silence that had ever taken place between them in all their years. And, though neither one would admit it, it was a really comforting change of pace. While Soul was trying to figure out the mystery that was Maka Albarn, she herself was wondering if perhaps Soul Evans was different than she always remembered.

She decided that maybe, just maybe, it was time for her to let go of her grudge with him.

End

Notes:

I'm not sure if the motorcycle I write Soul to have has a compartment under the seat (though I know there are bikes that do) so let's play pretend, mkay? :3

So, as I'm sure you've all noticed, I have reached a decision in regards to rating. Check the top of the page for the answer.

I wanted to have some fluff before things go back to Hell in a hand basket just because I felt like it.

Next Chapter: Maka makes a pretty big confession about herself to Soul. Blair starts out with her plans to run amuck upon the life of Soul Evans for his torment of a certain pigtailed blonde by issuing threats and other terrible things. It's basically a chapter about character development and some fun snark. :3


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Six: This Stupid Bonding Moment

Saturday was an interesting day. After waking up at noon as per his usual weekend schedule, Soul was greeted by Kami Albarn packing up a small picnic basket in the kitchen. Her hair was tugged back in a long caramel colored ponytail which made her appear years younger than her usual bun-style tended to do. She was wearing a long sleeved lavender blouse and a matching skirt that accented her womanly curves, humming and smiling. Around her neck was the pretty pink diamond necklace his father had purchased for her that Christmas. Her jade orbs were bright with her good humor and, for a moment, Soul almost forgot that this was Maka's mother he was gawking at.

In these moments, when Kami was glowing like the sun, it was hard to believe she had spawned the little rain cloud that usually liked to spoil his mood.

That had been another odd thing, he noticed over the last few weeks. While she did not continue to open up to him, Maka's usually hostile behaviors toward him had come to a gradual stop. After their little chat at the mall, she stopped glaring at him all the time in class (though Liz seemed to be picking up the slack in her stead) and she didn't bother him as much at work. The more he focused on it, though, it seemed she had just sort of given up. There was no particular passion to her attitude towards him and it was disappointing; no heated debates, no flushed cheeks or promises of violence.

He had wanted Maka to get her deal with him figured out, but he had hoped they could keep a healthy rivalry up at the least. "Good morning, Soul," Kami greeted, effectively snapping him from his thoughts. He made a small grunting noise and headed to the fridge, pulling out the gallon of milk. She watched him as he took a long, big gulp of the white liquid while one hand scratched his stomach lazily. "May I ask a favor of you?"

"Depends; if this has anything to do with something involving my father there may be a price tag attached," Soul said simply, wiping his mouth on the back of his hand and replacing the beverage. She giggled politely behind her hand and shook her head.

"No, nothing like that. Turns out Liz can't bring Maka home today and I have plans already. She said she could walk here, but it's almost five miles between here and her job. Would you mind picking her up when she gets off at two o'clock?" She asked mirthfully. Soul stared at her in shock for a moment; he knew Maka would disappear Saturday and Sunday morning but he always figured (being the nerd that she was) she was spending her time at the library studying. To think she had a job, still kept the highest marks in her class and was able to maintain her skill level on her instrument was sort of admirable.

"Uh, no problem. Where does she work?" Soul asked curiously.

"That's a Wrap Café," She answered back and the young albino stared at her. Maka was planning on walking home from there? Most of that trek would have been all uphill through the shrubs littering the side of the road! She must have some sort of death wish, the idiot.

"Sure thing," Soul said calmly, turning to head back out. Kami caught his wrist and gave him a quick hug, which he tensed up in. She let him go, sensing his discomfort, before speaking again.

"Thank you very much, Soul. I really didn't like the idea of her walking home alone and I know how Blair drives," She said simply, letting out a small giggle at her last remark. His eye twitched at the mention of the indigo haired cat. She had only visited twice in the last week her band had been here and already Soul could sense her apprehension toward his presence. There was something about the way she watched him that unsettled him a touch. "Oh, by the way, make sure that if you two do anything else today that you're home by six. We're having a big family dinner with Blair and the others."

"Sure thing," He parroted again, heading for his room. Once there, he quickly took a shower and got dressed. He heard his father and Kami leave before he cranked up some Sickle Syndrome on his speakers. He knew he was the only one home (Wes was off tutoring some poor sap in Elementary Algebra) so he felt he could listen to one of his favorite jazz bands without disrupting another individuals activities.

This somehow brought him back to the topic of Maka and her strong dislike for the group. He knew Sickle Syndrome was produced by Kishin Records; had she met them at some point and been shrugged off by them? He tried to imagine it and simply couldn't. He had seen interviews with Spirit, the group's leader, and he expressed that he was very supportive of anyone learning an instrument. Hell, an undercover group had actually gotten footage of him helping teach some poor kid (a secret agent for them) how to play the string bass! The guy was referred to as "One of the few celebrities whom does not let his mistakes define who he is"; this referred to a few scandals over the year implying that he hooked up with a few of-age fan girls.

He shrugged this off and decided to do a favor for his father by sorting the letters left on his desk. He was pretty sure most of them were from high profile colleges that wanted him to attend. Soul knew that his name carried a lot of weight; didn't matter how talented he was as long as he was a bonified Evans, in the long run. It was then he spotted a letter addressed to Maka that had somehow gotten mixed into his stack. It was in a neon pink envelope with flowery print all over it. There was elegant cursive scribbled on the front, stating Maka's full name (the use of her middle name elicited a few snorts from him) but no return address or anything like that. He shoved it in his jacket, deciding to give it to her himself, and headed down to That's a Wrap Café.

It was pretty slow at this time of day and, instead of Maka, he was greeted by a cherry girl from school with pink hair sweeping up under a few tables. He recognized her as Kim Diehl, one of the choir kids. He didn't know much aside for the fact there was a guy who liked her that she always turned down. A chubby, red-faced man with a mustache was standing behind the register, cleaning a white coffee mug with a light blue cloth. Soul approached him, causing him to glance up with a raised brow. "What can I do for ya?" He asked with a heavy New Yorker accent.

"I'm here to see Maka Albarn; I'm her ride," He said blandly. The other eyed him warily, distrust clearly visible. Soul didn't really blame him but was also curious about this. Did guys come in looking for Maka that often, or that rarely, that he watched all boys with caution? And, if so, was there a real reason behind it? "I'm her brother." He blurted out flatly. Kim dropped her broom, stared at him in wide eyes, and then scrambled to pick her broom back up when he glanced sideways at her.

"Hmm… Yeah, I can see the resemblance. Ya got the same, uh," The man said, twirling his finger in a circle around Soul's head. This rewarded him with a raised eye brow and incredulous look from the teenager. "Whatever. Anyway, she's in the back sweeping up the kitchen. She should only be a second, if you want to head back there and let her know you're here." He said, indicating the black double doors to the left of the register.

"Thanks," Soul said while turning and heading back. He chose to ignore the still stunned looking Kim and see how Maka was doing. He perked up and fought back a grin at the sight that was awaiting him. Maka was back there sweeping alright; however, apparently she was a fan of the song on the radio. She was dancing while sweeping and she was actually singing along, eyes shut and mouth turned up in a large grin as she did so. Soul was suddenly very grateful to Kami for asking him to do this favor. Who would want to miss out on this kind of black mail?

_Throw your soul through every open door.  
>Count your blessings to find what you look for.<br>Turn my sorrow into treasured gold.  
>You pay me back in kind and reap just what you sow. <em>(1)

Maka turned suddenly so that she was fully facing him, eyes opening, and she froze. He smiled and waggled his fingers at her lightly, grin turning to a wick smirk as she paled. "Hi," He mused lightly before the broom made a rough connection against his skull. "Ow! What the Hell!"

"Sorry; wishful thinking must have turned it into an impulse now," She said with a small shrug. His eye started to twitch as he stared at her. How many times did you have to think about something before your body reacted before your mind or mouth could? This though then led him to an even more important question, his eyes narrowing at the now suspicious blonde. **Exactly how often** had she fantasized bludgeoning him upside the head with a broom? "So what exactly are you doing here?" She asked with a huff, setting to sweeping in a more proper, traditional style. He grinned at that but didn't make a comment.

"I'm your ride home today," He said simply. She shook her head at him and he tilted his head, clearly baffled.

"No, I mean what are you doing back here? Only employees are supposed to be permitted in the back," She said.

"Oh, that was easy. I just told your boss I was your brother, here to give his sweet wittle sister a ride home after a hard day," He said, smirking and reaching over to her. He ruffled her hair which resulted in an annoyed scowl from his associate. This only made him laugh even more. She looked more like a wet and frustrated kitten than the demonic Hell-beast he had usually seen her as! "Says there was a strong family resemblance so he told me to come back here to wait for you." He shrugged calmly, leaning on one of the large metal slabs where the prep cooks were normally bustling away, making pastries and such for the display windows. She raised an eyebrow at him and he shrugged again. "I personally don't see it but whatever. To each their own or some philosophical crap like that."

"You are totally taking that out of context," She said with a small grin, setting back to sweeping all the dirt and fallen bits of food into a pile.

"If I said it as a rebuttal to your new statement would it make more sense?" He asked slyly. She rolled her eyes and picked up a dust pan with a long black handle. She started to brush the pile of mess into it. "I will take that as a yes, meaning it's a victory for me." He beamed lightly.

"Whatever you say, Evans," She said simply before walking a few feet away and sweeping up another pile she had made. "Would you mind running me by the library on the way home? I was going to just wait until Liz could take me but I know you don't do anything else with your life anyway."

"But library are so boring. And shooting things in a video game is so much more fun," He said simply. She pinned him with a look and he scowled back at her. They stared at one another for a long moment before she decided to try and break the deadlock.

"I'll make you a treat of your choice for dessert tonight. It can be anything that won't take too much time to make," She said simply. He blinked and thought for a moment, staring up at the ceiling. That was a pretty nice deal, when he thought about it. He knew for a fact (given the situation as of late) that Maka was a magnificent cook. Plus he had a hunch she was pretty good at baking too (since she worked in a café that specialized in the stuff).

"Cinnamon buns," He said suddenly, blinking a few times. He tilted his head down to look at her, figuring she would want to know why. He was learning that Maka Albarn was nosy herself though she did not expect to be bothered for answers herself. "My mom used to make them all the time for me when I was a kid. It's been a while since I've had one and it just sounds good."

"Sure thing. I can make those no problem," She said before picking up her cleaning supplies and putting them back in the storage closet. She then dusted off her hands and led him back out. "Hey, Vinnie, I finished up back there." She said, handing him a white card.

"Thanks, Maka," He said, swiping the card on the register. A sheet was printed out, which Maka sighed, and then he handed her a wad of cash. "Here are your tips for the day. You made about thirty two on card."

"Awesome. That means I pulled out a full seventy three in total," She beamed, ignoring the gawk she was awarded from Soul. She waved and led him out. "You should pop your jaw back into place. It looks weird the way you have it right now." She remarked casually with a wave of her wrist. She paused when she saw his motorcycle, fighting back a low groan. "Hello again, old friend." She quipped sarcastically.

"You made over sixty bucks in one morning?" He asked suddenly, having regained his wits about him. Maka was putting on the helmet and mounting his bike cautiously while she answered.

"Well, I technically made over seventy bucks but that's not important right now. I'm good at my job and, therefore, I get rewarded for that," She said calmly, speaking up a bit so she could be heard through the helmet. She looked up at him and pointed to where he'd normally be seated. "Are you going to get on or am I expected to drive?"

"Oh, Hell no! I know for a fact you only have a learner's permit and I am not losing my baby to your inadequacy," He snapped while quickly mounting in front of her. She settled her arms around his torso and they both ignored the giddy little flutters they felt in their guts.

"A simply no would suffice," She said with an annoyed sigh. He chuckled lightly before turning his vehicle on and heading off toward the library.

…

Dinner was nice, to say the least. Maka and Kami had slaved away once they were both home and everything was great. Soul learned a lot about the dynamic between Maka and Spellcasters, just by watching how the girls coddled over her and how Free, the only male, treated her like a younger sister. He had to admit it was nice to see such a close-knit group, given his own extended family wasn't like that. After dinner, while their stomachs settled, the men took up the study and discussed everything from politics to sports while the girls did he didn't know what in the living room.

"Hey, dessert's ready," Maka called up the stairs, alerting all the guys. Soul perked up, remembering the letter addressed to Maka he had tucked safely in his jacket to give her. He had forgotten all about it between the conversation in the parking lot and the library trip.

He waited until everyone else had left the kitchen to approach the subject. Maka was sitting on the counter next to the oven, licking some icing from her fingers while the other hand held the bun she'd taken a bite from. He was seated at the table, wiping his fingers on a napkin since he'd already devoured his own bun. He walked over and set the envelope next to her while swiping another warm roll. "That came for you in the mail. It got mixed up with my crap and I thought you might want it," He explained.

She picked it up, examined it, and then scowled. She opened the oven door with her foot and then flicked the letter inside, watching it fizzle and begin burning from the remaining heat. "If any letters like that come in just get rid of them," She said flatly.

"Why?" He asked in slight surprise. She looked off to the side and he scowled. He was really tired of this whole lead-around bullshit she was always pulling. "You know, if you don't answer me yourself I can find another way to figure it out. I'd rather not have to since I'd like to think you respect me enough to be somewhat honest with me."

"You're giving yourself too much credit in my book," She answered back with a shrug, "but I will tell you. Before I do, please understand that this is my greatest secret. Only a handful of people know the truth and I'm telling you this because… Well, okay, I do trust you a bit. You aren't as terrible a person as I thought. However, if you do tell someone I will go back to being a bitch and I will make your life even more miserable than I used to; risk of expulsion be damned! And I will not just make you miserable at school, either. I will rain the scorn of a thousand demonic beasts down upon you! This is something I don't even want you to think about after this, okay?" She said sternly, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits.

He felt a shudder roll up his spine at the horrifying conclusion she was being totally serious. Yup, she was officially back to being a demonic Hell-beast. "I get the point. Now what's this apparently big secret of yours?" He asked flatly, rolling his eyes at her. He was hoping she was just over exaggerating the gravity of what she was going to say.

"Sickle Syndrome," She sighed lightly, looking down at the cinnamon bun she had yet to finish. He took a big bite of his own and watched her. The usual light in her eyes died down to an almost nonexistent flicker and the frown she wore was that of a completely distraught figure. He paused in his chewing and watched her, stunned that she could actually look this completely devastated. "Their leader, Spirit, is my biological father."

"What?" He yelped while jumping to his feet and staring at her. He couldn't see it, really. Maka was the spitting image of her mother. She looked up at him through her lashes and he knew she wasn't just pulling his leg. She looked so damn bitter over the whole thing it added to the gravity of their situation. She was being honest with him and he wasn't sure what to say or do in this situation. "Spirit's your father?"

"Yeah. Well, I don't like to think about him like that really," She said softly. She took a nibble off of her cinnamon roll before continuing. "He was never really there. When I was too young to attend school and we'd go on tour with him it was always nice. But then when I started school, and my mother decided to stay here, things got bad. We couldn't always be together and then he started to cheat on my mother. I guess, if I wasn't…"

She stopped talking, head tilting downward with her bangs hiding her eyes. "It's not your fault, if that's what you're getting at," Soul barked suddenly, snapping her attention back to him. He was frowning at her. "If your dad couldn't resist the temptation than that is his problem, not yours."

"Right," She said softly, getting off the counter and heading to the door. He watched her but she didn't spare him a passing glance. She was swallowing back her bitter feelings, remembering what he had said to her all those years ago. He had robbed her of her dreams, of her hopes, of her own pathetic self indulgence. Why had she opened up with that to him? Why had she told him something so personal, something that could break her so easily?

She wasn't sure, too caught up in her thoughts as she brushed past Blair on her way from the kitchen.

The indigo haired woman blinked then poked her head in, looking at Soul. "What's wrong with Maka?" She asked curiously, walking over to him. He twitched and inched a bit away from her. Every time she got close to him it normally resulted in her crushing his face into her breasts; which, in turn, led to him getting beaten up by Maka.

"We had a pretty heavy talk. I guess it really upset her," He shrugged calmly. She nodded then looked at him, eyes turning to angry slits on him. He blinked, a bit uncomfortable with the weight of her gaze. "Yes?"

"Just wanted to let you know to sleep with one eye open, is all," She said simply. She then leaned down, grabbed his chin, and jerked his head so he was eye to eye with her. Her lips twitched up into a devious little smirk. "Because Bu-Tan doesn't like naughty little boys who hurt her Maka-Chan. Naughty little boys who hurt her Maka-Chan suffer the worst fates possible, nyah~!" She purred before releasing him and leaving. Soul's back was pressed against the table, one of his hands latched next to his side, and his eye started twitching.

What was with everyone's obsession with Maka's well-being and the decline of his mental stability?

End

(1) _Rolling in the Deep_ by Adele. I didn't initially like his song but it grew on me. I was listening to it while I was working on that scene so I decided to use it. For once there is no double meaning! :D

Notes:

This chapter was shorter than anticipated. I promise the next chapter will make up for it.

More fluffy stuff this time around~! Why? Because it's a secret~!

Life is not kicking my ass for once. It's been surprisingly nice. :3

Next Chapter:

Soul seeks the advice of an individual very knowledgeable in the ways of Maka; this still somehow finds a way to backfire on him. Liz reaches her breaking point and, as a perfectly normal response… Breaks someone's nose. Blair doesn't know how to remedy the situation; Hell, **even Kami** doesn't know what to do!


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Seven: This Stupid Realization

It had been almost two weeks since Maka's confession and things had become tense between he and Maka again. Kami and Will would ask the two (separately, of course) if the other had said or done something to upset one another. Soul would reply with a simple shrug and say he wasn't sure; Maka would say she was just stressed from all her school work. Everyone had picked up on it; even their individual friends. Liz had taken up demanding answers from Kid, who would then in turn hackle Soul for an answer. "I don't know what's going on! Tell Liz if she wants to know what's wrong with Maka to ask her, not either of us!" He growled, snapping his cell phone shut. He was sitting in the yearbook/ newspaper office with Tsubaki and Black*Star at lunch.

"Is Liz still bothering him? I told her she should leave him be," Tsubaki added vacantly from her position clacking away at her computer. She'd been working nonstop since she had to take on six extra pages. In the yearbook club, every member was assigned six pages that they were to take pictures for and write out. Because of the damage done to the camera Black*Star had "borrowed" from her possession, the camera had to be replaced. This caused one of the Seniors, whom was in charge of the club's funding, to actually spend a lot of her own money to replace it. Thus, she had to pick up more hours to make the money back and had ordered the ebony haired male take over the pages she was originally in charge of.

Spending their lunch time in her company (trying to get back into her good graces), was the least the two boys felt they could do. Currently, however, Black*Star's spot was empty since he needed to hit the restrooms.

"It doesn't mean she's going to listen," Soul sighed and took a bite of his sandwich. He swallowed and let out another loud groan. "Maka's the one who opened up to me! I don't understand why she's being so moody about it all of a sudden!" Azure orbs shifted from the computer screen to the albino.

"What do you mean?" She asked with a small frown.

"She told me about how Spirit from Sickle Syndrome is her father," He said calmly. Soul knew Tsubaki would have to know the truth, given her close bond with the ashy haired girl in question. All in all, she was probably his best confidant in this instance. She blinked in surprise at this.

"She actually gave up that information willingly? Maka hates to talk about her father with anyone; it takes a lot for even Liz, Patty and I to mention it in conversation," She said gently. He nodded and she leaned forward, looking around to assure no one was listening in. It was really a pointless gesture since it was just the two of them in the room anyway. "Maybe you could try offering a personal bit of information of your own up to her?"

"What? Why would I do that?" He asked with a scowl, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. For all he knew, the raven haired woman could actually be a double agent. She had known Maka longer than he himself, after all; he also knew that certain clicks of women were thick as thieves.

"Maka clearly wants to try to trust you," She explained casually. She turned back to her screen suddenly, shifting a few pictures around and double checking her spelling. Soul took another bite of his sandwich while he waited for her to turn back to him and continue their conversation. "From what I can tell, she's let go of the grudge she's been holding against you. She offered up a very personal thing about herself and she may be waiting for you to do the same."

"I guess that makes sense," He mumbled lightly. He took another bite of his sandwich followed by a quick swig of his soda. "So what do you think I should do, exactly?"

"Offer to take her home," The other teenager said without looking up from the computer. She finished up the caption for one of her pictures, turned her seat, and smiled brightly at him. "I know a lot about her and I think she'd appreciate it. Take her somewhere you feel at ease so that you'll be more comfortable and then pick something about yourself that you don't like to share. If she's really upset about what she told you than her knowing something about you will help her rebalance and things will go back to normal."

"Sounds good. Thanks, Tsubaki," He said with a small smile, holding out his fist. She giggled and bumped his lightly before the changed topics to the upcoming fine arts performance. It was a huge concert where the bands, orchestras and choirs performed all together in the auditorium. The two started talking about the songs they were scheduled to play and what they thought would happen with them between now and show time.

They didn't realize that someone else had overheard their little conversation.

…

He had caught Maka (surprisingly alone, for once) before orchestra class started. She was sitting in her seat, tuning her viola. "Hey, want a ride home?" He asked calmly. She glanced up at him and blinked a few times.

"Why are you offering?" She asked calmly. He shrugged calmly.

"Well, I figure we have to go to the same place so it saves your friend on gas. Plus you don't seem to mind my motorcycle as much as you first did," He said with a small smirk. He could tell she was trying not to laugh a little bit at the comment. "What if I even toss in a giant pretzel and a smoothie?"

"You really like giant pretzels, don't you?" She asked with a grin and raised eyebrow. Soul smiled and decided he'd have to ask her later if she was on meds; she switched moods like a looney.

"They are the perfect size, texture and ratio of bread to salt," He explained with a serious expression. She stared at him with her cheeks turning pink, trying so hard not to laugh at his reasoning. "But as a direct answer to your questions; yes, I do, in fact, really like giant pretzels. So what do you say to my proposal?"

"I guess I'll agree, since you'll be the one paying this time around," She said with a shrug of her own. The rest of the class was as calm as orchestra class could be. After all, Liz had taken up teasing Kid whenever she got the chance to. It was clear the young man was getting sick of it but he wasn't the type to lash out at a girl.

Soul almost found it tragic; by playing the gentlemen Kid was also playing the bitch.

"So why is Liz so… You know… Protective of you?" Soul asked as they entered the food court and headed toward the pretzel stand. Maka blinked then looked off to the side and let out a small sigh.

"It's not my place to say. Maybe if you two ever get along she'll just tell you herself," She said simply as they approached the cashier. He snorted lightly, rolling his eyes at her.

"Oh, yeah. Like Liz Thompson is ever going to accept me as one of her kind," He scoffed lightly. They placed their orders, got their goods and sat back down. Soul took a large chomp from his pretzel while Maka took a sip from her own drink.

"I'll tell her to ease up on you and Kid; that should help the situation, right?" She asked calmly with a smile. He blinked then scoffed and looked down again.

"What makes you so sure she'll do it just because you ask her to?" He scoffed lightly. She took a bite of her pretzel, making sure to think about her answer before she uttered it.

"Because Liz is my friend and she's always got my back. She may not like it but she'll agree to it," She said simply, her gaze shifting down to some graffiti carved into the table top with a switchblade. She took a sip of her drink without looking up, raising an eyebrow at the gang words scratched in. "Just accept my offer of being nice without having so little faith in it."

"But why are you suddenly being so nice to me?" He blurted out. She looked up calmly, her eyes glinting with a light that bordered between insult and intrigue. "I mean, all these years you've held a grudge against me for something I don't even know about. The first few weeks living together were Hell, then you tell me your biggest secret and suddenly we're supposed to be best friends? It just doesn't add up quite right in my head."

She sighed lightly, ripping a piece from her pretzel and dipping it in the cheesy dip they had received with their purchase. "I've decided to let go," She said calmly. She then plopped the cheesy bit of bread into her mouth. He quirked an eyebrow, imitating her gesture while waiting for more of an explanation. "We're going to be seeing a lot of each other so I figure that it'd just be easier this way. I've heard that the best way to help repair a damaged relationship is by trying to express trust with one another, hence my decision to tell you the full story behind my parentage. As long as you don't do anything to piss me off too bad than we shouldn't have any problems, right?"

"I guess that makes sense," He said while looking down. He remembered what Tsubaki had said earlier, about offering something personal about himself up. Perhaps the pretty young woman had planned the whole thing; what Maka was saying was similar to that. Had she maybe sought out advice from her friend, whom then used the same suggestion on him to assure they were on the same page?

He had to hand it to her; she was a sneaky girl, that Tsubaki. "My mom died when I was about eight years old," He said suddenly, locking his eyes on his pretzel. He took a deep breath before continuing. "It wasn't sudden or anything like that; she died of lung cancer. She was diagnosed when I was about two years old, she got into treatment and she was okay for a while. She was as healthy as she could be until I was about six years old or so. Then, her cancer spread and she got so bad that she had to live in the hospital. One day, after piano practice, I went to go see her and she was just… Gone." He swallowed back all the feelings running rampant within him at the memories; all the confusion, the sorrow and the anger were starting to crawl under the surface of his skin.

And then Maka's hand was resting on his own. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," She said delicately, eyes shimmering in understand and concern. Her fingers were soft and warm against his own, a marvel in his opinion. He knew that fingers gliding along the metal strings of an instrument could toughen the skin. He had never thought about whether Maka used lotion or not, but he was suddenly fascinated by the idea (since it was something other than the topic he had introduced). He gave her a weak smile, forcing himself to calm back down and put back his usual cool disposition.

"I just wanted to share something with you, too," He said gently. She blinked then smiled back at him and shook her head.

"You shouldn't think of it that way. This isn't like a game where we have to try to beat the other," She said lightly. There was still concern in her eyes but he relaxed when he saw that it was apparently downplayed now. "We're past that now, aren't we?"

"Yeah," He agreed before taking another bite of his pretzel. They spent the rest of the mall trip holding up casual conversation about their classes and what they'd learned. It was nice to just have a normal conversation, to joke around and tease one another without any hurtful jabs added in, though neither would admit how very natural it was to be like this.

…

The next morning Maka hitched a ride with Soul to school. "So you call your bike your baby but does it have an actual name?" She asked with a raised eyebrow, handing him back the helmet. He placed that, his gloves and his goggles in the compartment built under the seat.

"Of course. Her name is Gwyneth," He said with a proud grin. Maka snorted and rolled her eyes, taking a few steps away just in time for one of her peers to run up to her. She recognized the girl as one of her fellow Spanish students and a co-worker; Kim was her name, if she called it up right. She was holding a copy of the weekly school paper with a certain light to her eyes that Maka didn't like.

"Hey, Maka, is it true?" She asked curiously. The blonde tilted her head before Kim offered up the paper. Maka's entire body went rigid as she read the heading over and over again, trying her best to wrap her mind around it.

**Blood Bonds: Shibusen's own Maka Albarn is the daughter of Spirit Henderson, leader of Jazz sensation Sickle Syndrome.**

"So is it true?" Kim repeated, eyes lighting up in even more curiosity. The horror painted on Maka's face seemed to answer it for her. "Oh, my God! It is true! For once Black*Star isn't just pulling gossip out of thin air!" With this declaration, the pink haired girl rushed off while Maka's gaze shifted to Soul. He seemed equally stunned; even more so when she threw the newspaper at him.

"You told him!" She snapped, her entire form shaking with her fury. Soul watched the sheets of paper flutter to the ground before looking back up at her. "You told Black*Star and then he did this! What, is this your way of getting back at me for all these years of rivalry?"

"Maka, I didn't tell him anything," He said patiently, holding his hands up. He hoped that by keeping calm it might help defuse the situation and calm Maka back down as well. She growled and slapped him hard enough that his teeth actually rattled against one another.

"Lying bastard! I never should have trusted you!" She screamed before running off. He placed a hand against his throbbing cheek and sighed, watching her fleeing form. He tossed his bag over one shoulder, glared down at the papers at his feet, and then headed off to find Black*Star.

As per their usual, Black*Star was relaxing at a picnic table in the commons area. "Hey, Soul, what's up?" He beamed, waving eagerly at the other. Tsubaki was just arriving as well, getting settled into her seat beside the blue haired male.

"Do you ever think before you act?" Soul snapped out flatly. Two sets of eyes blinked a few times in alarm at his tone before Black*Star scowled in annoyance.

"What's that supposed to meet? As your God, it's my job to protect my disciples!" He barked back sourly. Soul rolled his eyes, shook his head and did his best to remain cool. Considering how bad things were going to get at home now it'd be best to keep as many allies that he could.

"How the Hell did you even know about that? And where did you get the power to put it in the school paper?" He continued on, deciding to get his answers first. He would deal with Black*Star's reasons once he knew what had happened.

"What are you two talking about?" Tsubaki chimed in worriedly. Her concern grew even more so when neither of them so much as acknowledged her words. They only ignored her when they were having a rather serious confrontation (which was not as often as one might assume, given Black*Star's personality).

Soul needed a straight answer on the matter, though; after all, he had never discussed this matter with him.

"I overheard you and Tsubaki talking about it yesterday, then gave the story to Jackie," He explained casually. He then grinned and wiped the tip of his nose with his thumb. "I didn't think she was going to be able to get it out by this morning though! I thought it was going to take another week or something! Looks like a big star like me has big influence!"

"No," Soul drawled slowly with a glare, "it's more that it's an interesting tale. Maka's never talked about her father and this gives people some gossip to spread around."

"Oh, my goodness! Black*Star, what did you do?" The raven-haired woman yelped in alarm, eyes wide in horror. Now they looked at her, watching as she threw her things together again and started clacking away at her cell phone. "Oh, no! I need to call Liz and Patty; maybe one of them will know what to do!" She fretted while shifting through her contacts. "Soul, Black*Star, you two are so dead when I have the time to deal with you!" She yelped while running away, pressing her phone to her ear and running off toward the library.

"I don't get what everyone's issue is," Black*Star huffed, crossing his arms over his chest. He was pouting like a child; Soul would have teased him if he wasn't so absolutely annoyed with him. "Maka's the one always picking fights and dealing low blows. Suddenly I'm the bad guy for giving her a taste of her own medicine? This is a bunch of bullshit."

"Whatever you say," Soul mumbled just as the bell rang. He sighed and headed off toward the boy's side of campus and his first class. He only hoped Maka would listen to him when orchestra class rolled around.

…

She wasn't there, it turned out. Soul had been concerned upon this realization, and then horrified when a near hysterical Liz Thompson came stumbling in, peering at the empty seat and seeming about ready to collapse. She was actually dragging Black*Star with her, his eyes spinning and blood flowing freely from his nose. However, when he locked eyes with her from across the room, his stomach fell to his shoes. They sparked back to life, she let out a loud growl, dropped the self-proclaimed God and stomped her way toward him. As she was about to grab him, Kid intercepted and caught her around the waist, holding her back from attacking. "You bastard! What the Hell have you done?"

"I didn't do anything," Soul said calmly, grabbing his book bag. He walked over to her, feeling bolder knowing that Kid had his back. He looked her in the eyes, refusing to let the blazing scorn in those luminous sapphire spheres get to him. "Look, Black*Star listened in on a conversation between Tsubaki and I. I didn't want him to do this and I didn't tell him this. Now, judging by how pissed you are, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Maka left the campus and won't answer her phone. I'll go find her but I need you to answer a question for me."

Liz glared at him before she shifted, implying to Kid to let her go. She stood up straighter and glared down at the albino. "That depends on what you want to know," She said flatly.

…

Soul was speeding along the sleek roads; as if he were in some melodrama, it had started to rain when he left to go find Maka. He would have laughed at the irony of the situation if he wasn't so preoccupied with remembering where the place he was looking for was. After accepting that he wasn't going to do anything bad to Maka, Liz had told him the story of why the other blonde had her issue with Soul.

He had forgotten that incident until she mentioned it.

He had been forced to go to that competition by his piano tutor. His father was still too lost in grief to argue that it was not a good time for the young boy to be put in such a situation and Wesley's suggestion to let Soul bail out was ignored. What does a child know of the world, after all? And so he was forced back there, told to play his mother's favorite piece. When the bubbly, bright-eyed girl that would later turn into his arch rival approached him, hoping to befriend him, his mind decided that tearing her down may make him feel better. Maybe seeing someone who was as miserable as himself in the competitors may make it all worthwhile.

He didn't see her again after he gave his rude speech and was grateful for that. After breaking down, accusing his father of not caring anymore, he felt better; especially when his father had simply held him and apologized. Soul had looked back at the incident and pushed it away, embarrassed by his own actions. His mother had raised him better than that. "How did I not realize it?" He asked himself with an annoyed growl as he weaved through the traffic so as to reach his turn before the light changed. He ignored the horns and swears he received for his daring move.

That day when she walked into his class and had called him out on it, he should have realized it was the same girl.

He perked up when he spotted the very building he was looking for; the old amphitheater where that competition had been held at. He pulled up in the front and saw Maka, just standing there, getting soaked. He turned the bike off and walked over. If she heard his approach she didn't make it known. He took off his blazer and dropped it over her head, watching as she glanced up through soggy bangs at him. Her eyes were so vacant, so dead, that he flinched back a bit. "What do you want?" She asked tonelessly before shifting her attention back to the boarded doors of the building.

"I came to take you home; your mom and Blair are about to have heart attacks," He said, reaching and taking her wrist. He shifted to move her, drag her back to his bike, but she stayed where she was.

"It was my last hope," She said suddenly. He turned and looked at her, his grip still on her wrist. Her eyes were now welling up with tears. "I thought that maybe if I could do well on this competition Papa would be proud and come home. He'd see that I was a great musician like him and he'd want to make sure I learned everything right. I thought that I was the reason he was never around, that I was the reason my parents' marriage was falling apart. After all, if I hadn't been born Mama would have continued going on tour with him. He never would have had the chance to cheat and they would have always remained in love. The least I could do was fix the very thing I ended up destroying by existing.

And then you happened. I just wanted to make a friend, to find someone there I could get along with, and you took everything I had been hoping and praying for away from me. I thought I was there because I had some talent; you told me the truth behind that. And when you walked away from me to play your solo you took my hopes and dreams with you. Not even placing in the top ten was just the icing on the cake at that point. My pretty little hopes, my pretty little lies, no longer had a leg to stand on; you kicked it out from right under them."

He sighed lightly at this. "Maka, I'm sorry that what I said affected you that much but it's time you let it go. There's nothing you could have done to stop your parents' divorce from happening; if your father was going to cheat at the first chance he got than he's scum. Your mom deserves better than that; you deserve better than what you got, feeling as if it was all your fault," He said delicately. She sniffled slightly, the light of those eyes coming back right before she screwed them shut. She lifted her free arm and pressed it over her eyes, trying to hide her tears. He wrapped his arms around her gently, tucking her head under his chin. "You have a reason to be mad at your father but you have no reason to be mad at yourself."

They stood there for a few minutes before taking a quiet drive home. They were immediately rushed in and coddled by their parents, whom were both worried sick over the two teens' pulling their disappearing act.

End

Notes:

So there you have it; end to Plot Point Number One! What's next, you may ask? Well, it should be relatively obvious, yeah? :3

In other news, made myself a tumblr, which I'll try to update every day. I'll leave the link on my profile for anyone who is interested.

Next Chapter:

Soul and Maka have a bonding experience in the kitchen that involves various sauces (Get your minds out of the gutter, you nasty-heads~! :3). Liz gives new meaning to the term poker face; she also teaches the dean of the school a lesson in being a boss. Tsubaki and Black*Star have a moment that leads to various things; one involves a tub of ice cream.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Eight: This Stupid "God"

It had been two weeks since Maka finally seemed to get over her beef with Soul and things in the Evans-Albarn home settled down significantly. No formal apologies (meaning apologies with their parents as witnesses) had been issued but the adults willingly let it slide by. The two teens weren't the best of friends but they were warming up to one another. Maka had started helping Soul work on his terrible math grade while he was helping her to improve her vibrato (as well as trying to convince her to listen to something other than that Trance shit he found her to be fond of). Wes found it funny (given he was the violinist, not his brother) but he had picked up on the job of distracting Blair from noticing Soul and Maka's sudden truce. The indigo haired woman seemed to have a vendetta against the younger sibling for everything with Maka.

Luckily enough, Wesley Evans had always been a smooth operator and could get her attention rather easily.

This makeshift truce was actually what Soul was pondering about as he relaxed on his bed, watching the rain tap his window. At lunch Black*Star had seemed almost insulted by the news of peace in his best friend's house. "Dude, it isn't possible! She's planning something; I can foresee it!" He declared, one of his feet on the table and his fist shaking in the air lightly. Soul stared at him with an amused expression while chewing his bite of his sandwich. Tsubaki sighed and shook her head, her patience starting to run low after the stunt Black*Star had pulled with the newspaper.

"I somehow doubt she's planning something considering I've been doing better in math class. Hell, Professor Stein was so stunned at my homework being done and correct that he sent me to the headmaster for suspicion of cheating!" He laughed, remembering the two men's faces when he explained that he had simply enlisted the aid of a private tutor.

"That's because she's trying to lull you into a false sense of security, man!" He protested. He then jabbed his finger into Soul's face, causing the other to blink and then look up cautiously. "Mark my words, Soul; this is just a new strategy she's brought to the battlefield. There is no way she's going to forgive you after the school paper incident."

"I had nothing to do with that, remember? That was all you!" He snapped in annoyance, shoving the blue haired male's finger from his face. Black*Star scowled, remaining in his Captain Morgan-esque position.

"Yeah, but **you** were the one who told me," He stated calmly. Soul's eye started to twitch and he could practically **feel** a brain tumor beginning to blossom. He was going to have to name it Star, in honor of the man whom had caused it.

"You **eavesdropped** on a conversation thought to be private!" He barked out in annoyance. The other crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You say tomato, I say potato," The other answered as if it was the most intelligent come back in the world. Soul and Tsubaki both sweat-dropped at this. Neither one of them planned on correcting him, though; one for the sake of keeping Star from getting too big and the other because they didn't see a point. "I'm just saying that she's up to something and you would be wise to listen to a God; especially since we're playing in the realm of a Demon." Jade eyes flickered up before a scowl came to his features. "Speak of the Devil, actually."

"Good to see you too," Maka said back sarcastically, causing Soul to turn and face the girl standing back and slightly to his left. She had her bag tossed over one shoulder and a large paper cup in her hands. She turned her gaze to Soul. "Hey, Soul. I needed to ask a favor."

"What's up?" He asked, turning all the way so that they were facing each other completely.

"Since Mama and Will are going to be going to some record company banquet being held in Sickle Syndrome's honor tonight," She said briskly, "I was thinking about making some stuffed shells for dinner tonight. I know for a fact, however, that we don't have any of the supplies to make it. Would you mind running me by the store on the way home so I can get all the ingredients?"

"Don't want to go to Daddy's big party, Maka?" Black*Star sneered. Soul ducked just in time to miss getting grazed by the leather bound Spanish-to-English-to-Spanish dictionary that **magically flew** right at Black*Star's face. The other male let out a loud yelp before he crumbled to the ground, holding his face where the dent was forming. After deciding that he wasn't dead just yet, the albino turned back to the young woman before him.

"I've never had stuffed shells before so sure," Soul stated evenly. Maka stared at him as if he had just slapped her before holding up her hands and shaking her head. Tsubaki giggled at him

"Wait, no, stop. You have just committed blasphemy within the world of Maka Albarn," The inky haired woman spoke up. Maka's hands fell to her hips and she nodded. "Oh, my. It appears Black*Star was right." She said teasingly.

Maka ignored Tsubaki's comment since she wasn't sure what it was about. "Okay, originally I was going to buy the ones you just pop in the oven but I can't now," She said evenly. She pointed at Soul, a sharp glint to her eyes. "I am going to make dinner completely from scratch tonight so that you can revel in the sheer incredibility that is stuffed shells. I'll also have to make some garlic bread because what is stuffed shells without garlic bread? Hmm, and what would be a good drink for that? Soda would be okay but I'm pretty sure I could pick something much better…" She trailed off, turning on her heels and marching off to meet back up with Liz and Patty.

"I'm telling you; wolf in sheep's clothing," Black*Star announced, dropping the book onto the table. Soul picked it up and set it in his bag, intending to return it to Maka after orchestra.

"And I'm telling you; paranoid much," Was Soul's rebuttal, which also served to end the conversation. But now, in his room while he could vaguely hear the young woman scuttling around in the kitchen, he was starting to wonder. He was pretty sure Black*Star was wrong but what if he was right? What if Maka really was just planning to lash out in a way much grander than she had before? He sat up and groaned, glancing at his desk and noticing his bag. He had forgotten to give her back that dictionary of hers.

Seeing it as a good excuse to invade the kitchen during Maka Time, he pulled it out and headed down the stairs.

"Hey," He said while walking in. Maka was standing at the stove, mixing a large black pot. She glanced up and smiled at him when he held up her dictionary, wagging it in the air a little. "Thought you might want this back."

"Thanks," She said cheerfully, turning back to her cooking. She set the wooden spoon she was using on a paper towel beside the stove and then went to the refrigerator. "You can just leave it on the table."

Soul set it down at sat, watching as Maka pulled out a stick of butter and set it in a bowl. She then pulled out some garlic powder, sprinkled it atop the butter and popped it in the microwave. "What are you doing?" He asked curiously. She punched on the buttons and started it up.

"I told you I was making all of this from scratch so I'm making the garlic sauce to make the garlic bread," She explained calmly. He stared at her in surprise. She grinned and nodded her head toward the stove. "Here, I'll show you how to do some of this. Wesley tells me you really suck at anything relatively domestic."

Soul scoffed but approached her anyway. "He doesn't have much room to talk," He said flatly, sidling up beside her. She raised an eyebrow at him and he smirked. "Wes didn't even know how to start the dishwasher until you showed up."

"How did you three survive that long?" She asked in shock. Soul shrugged calmly while Maka stirred the sauce again. "Hand me the pepper, please." She said politely.

He reached to the little cabinet above the stove and handed her the required item. "We usually had a nanny or a maid who took care of everything. When Dad decided he wanted to teach, however, he had arrangements made for them all to work with other families that he said 'needed their services more' or whatever. Personally I think it was just because he wanted us to learn to do all this dull stuff," He said blandly. He watched as Maka sprinkled a little pepper into the meaty sauce, stirred, and then brought a little up with the wooden spoon. She cupped her hand under it and held it up a little toward him. "I get to try it?"

"Yeah. I want to make sure this has just the right amount of zing to it," She said. When he continued to stare at her, she responded by staring right back. "Look, normally I was cooking for Mama and I, so I need to know exactly how you prefer certain things. Everyone has different tastes so I want to make sure you like this."

"That's awfully… nice of you," He said cautiously.

"I'm not planning on killing you in your sleep or anything like that," She said simply. He twitched a bit but she merely smirked a touch wider than he liked. "Tsubaki told me what Black*Star said and he's way off. Don't you think that I'd have killed you before, when I still had an issue with you?"

He leaned down and lapped the sauce from the spoon as she had been pressing toward him. "It's really good. And why exactly did you decide that?" He asked as she set the spoon back on the napkin and slipped back him. She walked over to the cutting board, where a loaf of French bread was waiting, and began cutting it into slices.

"You said it yourself; there was no point to it," She said simply, dipping a brush-like tool he had seen used at barbeques into the garlic mixture she had made. She twirled it in circles, mixing it up, and then began to coat the slices of bread with it. "I was putting all of my bitterness toward my Papa into my hatred of you because hating him seemed impossible. After all, he isn't around for me to hate. I throw away all the letters he sends me, give all the money he sends me away and I've blocked his number from my phone. I guess I thought that since your words had been what made me lose hope in what I was doing I should take it out on you but I've realized that was dumb, too. You and I were both kids, and you had your own troubles to worry about. Therefore, I'm just going to try and keep things pleasant for both our sakes and the sake of our parents." She paused for a moment before looking at him sternly. "I cannot, however, promise that Liz will not harass you."

"I can live with that," He chuckled lightly. He walked back over to the table and sat down, easing into the chair and watching Maka work. Though he would never admit it, this felt kind of… nice. They had never had a real conversation before. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you and the Thompson girls become friends, anyway? Liz seems sorta overprotective of you. Like, in an almost ridiculous kind of way."

"It's a long story," She tossed over her shoulder before popping the bread into the oven on the top rack. She then walked over to the fridge, pulled out a glass tray with large shells made of noodle and set them by the stove. Soul watched as she poured the meat sauce all over the shells before placing them in the oven with the bread and setting a timer. "Well, I guess not really when I think about it."

"That doesn't really help, you know," He pointed out flatly. She rolled her eyes at him as she sat down at the table next to him.

"It was a long time ago, not too long after I started going to school with you, actually," She trailed thoughtfully. She tapped her chin before nodding. "Well, it all started when I met them at the park one day. Their parents were always sort of… in their own world. They would get into these knock-down, drag-out fights, threaten to leave one another, and then go out for a couple's night and be fine again. They knew that Patty and Liz existed but they didn't really try to care for them. Because no one really took the time to deal with them, they didn't know how to deal with other people. A lot like my friend Chrona, when I think about it."

"Chrona's that weird purple haired kid Patty's always hanging on, right?" Soul asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah. He had a rough childhood too but he's in therapy to get it all worked out. His mother is very supportive of him, too, and that helps," She commented. She then made a face and shook her head. "Back to Liz and Patty. Unlike Chrona, who just freezes out into fits of crying and screaming when he feels overwhelmed, they would lash out with violence. We started talking because Liz was threatening me for my lunch money with a knife at my throat."

"Jesus Christ!" Soul sputtered out with wide eyes. The petite young woman responded with a bright grin and small giggle. "How the Hell did they get knives on to school grounds? And why didn't you freak out?"

She shrugged. "I was going to a public school at the time. Plus, I had heard they carried knives on them so I was sort of expecting it. Anyway, I asked them why they wanted my money when they could just as easily go buy their own food. That caught them off guard; no one had ever asked them that before. It was also the first time they realized that they never had their own money to get lunch," She said simply.

"So, let me guess, you shared your food with them since you're a goody-goody like that?" He asked with a smug grin. She flashed him a similar look.

"Actually, I smacked Liz across the face, told her she was being a bad role model for Patty and then offered to share my food with them," She snorted before getting up and heading back to the fridge. She missed the stunned look on Soul's face; **no one** smacked Liz Thompson and lived to tell the tale! "I got us some apple juice to go with the shells, since the soda was too expensive and anything else felt too dull."

"Hook a brother up," He said, crossing his fingers on one hand so they looked like the letter W. She chuckled and shook her head at him.

…

It had seemed like the fool-proof plan, when she had been working it out with Patty and a more than reluctant Chrona that afternoon. While Maka was away, talking to Soul about their dinner plans, she had pulled out the blue prints and showed them where the weak spots were. She explained what she wanted to do, what the strategy would entail and what she expected of the both of them. While Patty had agreed too eagerly, the indigo haired male had his reservations. He didn't think it would be a good idea; fun prank or no.

Somehow, sneaking into the house of the headmaster of their school's house in the dead of night seemed somewhat inappropriate.

After a pair of powder blue puppy dog eyes being fluttered at him, however, he had let his opinion be swayed to satisfy the two sisters. Though he did tell them a few more times in less confident wording that he thought this was a bad idea, he still played a part in it. He had tagged along on the trip to the store to buy the necessary equipment, listened diligently as they went over the plan three more times, and even played his role as scouter pretty well.

Or, rather, he did well until the Headmaster and Kid's car pulled up in the yard halfway through the execution of the project. He had then run screaming from the back door, wailing that he didn't mean to do it. Just as Patty and Liz turned to chase after him the door was thrown open and the residents entered.

Upon seeing their entire living room destroyed, the two responded differently. Kid had another of his "attacks" by the symmetry of the room being ruined and promptly fainted. His father, however, looked at the torn curtains, the ripped couch cushions and the spray paint on the walls as a cry for action. After getting Kid situated in his bed, he locked the two girls in his office with him to discuss the current situation. "So, any reason I shouldn't call the cops on you two for vandalizing my home?"

"Because that would be unfair. After all, your son started this whole thing," Liz barked out, her arms crossed over her chest and one leg crossed over the other. She was letting one leg bounce with a mix of anxiety and annoyance. She made a mental note to never have Chrona play the role of scouter again; he wasn't too good at it.

"And how, pray tell, did my Kiddo start this whole thing?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. Liz wasn't sure how to feel about the whole situation, really. Sure, Maka and Soul were now on casual terms with one another but there was something about Kid that just got under her skin. She had started this because he had jumped to Soul's defense, but she had yet to stop because… She wasn't sure.

She forced herself to stay calm and hold his gaze. "Kid insulted my friend a few weeks back. He commented on something that had nothing to do with him and I just want to see to it he receives appropriate punishment for it," She said simply.

"Well, then, I guess you don't want to go on that trip to California with the rest of the orchestra, hm?" He asked smoothly, causing her to twitch a bit. She looked at him levelly but remained cool and collected on the outside. Every two years the orchestra, band and choir would go to California for a whole ten days of summer vacation. They'd get to stay in a nice hotel, hit the beach, and go to all the amusements parks; as well as go behind the scenes and see how certain things were done. Last time the trip had rolled around, Maka and Liz had been Freshmen and were not allowed to go; only sophomores and above were allowed to participate, since freshmen were considered too "immature" to partake. She, Tsubaki, Maka and Patty had been eagerly awaiting the chance to take the trip ever since they learned about it. "I think that we may be able to reach a happy medium."

"Go on," She said, holding one hand out and gesturing to the open air.

"Kid's therapist thinks that if he talks to someone his own age who will not sugar coat things for him it may help him get over this bizarre fixation he has with symmetry," He explained calmly. Liz had a sinking feeling but she forced herself it ignore it. "If you agree to work with Kid on his little problem, I won't call the cops or ban you from the trip."

"Would you be insulted if I said I am tempted to tell you to just call the cops instead?" The blonde asked flatly. Shinigami-Sama actually chuckled lightly and shook his head, turning his attention out the window.

"No, not really. However, it is your call. If you accept, tell me so. If not, sit tight and I'll call the cops," He said simply. He leaned back in his seat and pointed out the window with his thumb. "I somehow don't think that would be good for your other partner's health but who am I to judge? After all, I'm the one whose son is in therapy for a disorder that's so ridiculous I can barely take it seriously."

Cerulean orbs stared at him for a long moment, glanced out the window to see Chrona pacing, and then shifted back to the headmaster. "Expect me on Monday, after school. I'm only going to be able to come over on Monday's because of my work schedule, but it's probably better than nothing," She said while standing. Patty was on her heels, her usual smile dropped to a worried frown. Once out of the office, Patty took off running to meet up with Chrona.

The younger girl missed seeing Kid standing there, his back to the wall beside the door to the office, but Liz didn't.

"Oh, uh, hi," She pressed out nervously. How much of the conversation had he heard, she wondering briefly. He glanced at her, though, and she was actually a little distraught by the clear pain in those large golden orbs. He had such beautiful eyes, though she'd never tell him so. "So, from now on I-"

He held up a hand and silenced her. "I know the plan," He said before turning and walking away. She watched him go before following her sister. How must it feel to know your father thought your social issue was comical? That he found it so humorous he couldn't even try to see how his son was feeling?

She tossed the thoughts away as she caught up to the others. Chrona was holding his cell phone and twitching anxiously. "W-We have to go!"

"Why? What's going on?" Patty asked gently, resting a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him back down. He whimpered weakly.

"M-Maka called and said we needed to get to her house immediately!" He yelped out. Liz jolted up, a million terrible thoughts involving Maka, Soul, and a lack of consent involved.

"Let's go," She said seriously.

…

"**Evans! Prepare to be castrated**!" Liz roared as she kicked open the door to the Evans-Albarn abode, a wiffle ball bat clenched tightly in her hands. She blinked in surprise when, instead of Maka in tattered rags and a leering Soul hovering over her, she was greeted with the sight of Soul leaning against the entryway of the staircase, arms crossed over his chest, and a brow raised in her direction. Maka was seated on the couch, fully dressed and as put together as she always was, with a sobbing figure tucked in her arms.

Maka looked up at her with a frown then tilted her head toward Tsubaki, whom she was currently working to comfort. "Oh, Baki-Chan! What happened?" Patty squeaked while rushing over, Chrona scuffling after her. Liz let her hands drop to her side and walked toward Soul.

"What's going on?" She asked him evenly, tapping her calf with the yellow plastic weapon in her hands. Soul glanced at the bat and then back at her.

"From what Tsubaki was able to get out before she broke, she and Black*Star had a huge fight over his mistrust of Maka," He said simply. She blinked then looked over, making a small tsking noise and shaking her head. "He apparently told her that if she wasn't going to have his back he wanted nothing to do with her."

"Geez, that idiot. Are you going to talk to him?" She asked, looking at him. Ruby eyes flickered from her to the pigtailed girl whispering soft, soothing words to the other woman.

"Maka asked me to so I'm going to give it a shot. Oh, and what exactly were you talking about when you came in?" He asked with a small smirk. She blinked then snorted, turning away.

"I didn't know what was going on so I just assumed it was your fault like it usually is," She said dully, looking at her nails on one hand.

"And how, if I may ask, were you going to castrate me with that?" He asked smugly, pointing to it. She smirked at him wickedly before smacking him as hard as she could right in the couch with the plastic weapon.

"Like that," She grinned when he stumbled over, holding the tender spot. She hummed, resting the bat on her shoulder and skipping over to help cheer Tsubaki back up.

Soul realized that wiffle ball bats hurt much more than they appeared.

End

Notes:

Where did the wiffle ball bat come from? Her trunk. Why? Because my friend April actually has a wiffle ball bat in her car (if you can believe it, it **came** with the car!) and we've made many a joke involving it. This is one of them.

I think the proper way to make garlic bread from scratch is actually to butter the bread and then sprinkle the garlic powder atop that. I can't remember quite well since it's been a while since I've sat in the kitchen and watched my dad make it.

More fluff~! Why? Because I said so nyah! Also, stuffed shells are the greatest fucking thing in world! If you haven't had any go eat some and then die from their sheer awesome-tude! :T

Put this notice in both stories but I have updated my shiz on my profile so you can all know why this update took such a long time to get out.

Next Chapter:

Soul and Maka witness things that no teenager should witness; whether by accident or because the writer though it would be a good plot point. Tsubaki proves she actually **can** be mad at Black*Star. Liz uncovers some interesting elements about the dynamics in the Death household that cause her to actually regret bullying Death the Kid.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Nine: This Stupid Experiment

Soul and Maka met up in the grassy knoll by the library on Monday to discuss how things went with Black*Star. The young male had been unable to get a hold of his friend until classes that day, which was strange. Maka was seated beneath the tree by herself, an extra lunch box resting next to her. He walked over, sat down next to her, and took the extra lunch. Maka had packed it for him, after all. "Well?" She asked him while pulling out her bottle of water.

"Black*Star says he may have gone overboard but also says that Tsubaki needs to own up to her mistakes," He said with a shrug, pulling the items inside out one at a time. Inside was a big and juicy looking roast beef sandwich, a bag of barbeque flavored potato chips, a chilled bottle of water and a small bag of homemade peanut butter cookies. Over the weekend Maka had made the cookies and saved them to be used as a side snack to go with their lunches over the week.

"Are you serious?" Maka asked incredulously, choking a little bit on the water she'd been sipping. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand while Soul took a bite of his sandwich, groaning lowly in delight. After years of school lunches, eating a homemade lunch was more delightful than Soul had thought it would be.

"Wouldn't have said it if I wasn't serious," He said around his mouthful of food, swallowing hard and grinning. Maka made a face at him lack of manners but he chose to ignore it. "You're really good at making great food, you know that?"

"It's just a sandwich," She remarked levelly. She couldn't help it but she did find how excited he got when she told him she'd be making them both lunches for school; it was like telling a little boy he could get whatever toy he wanted, price tag be damned! And even now, as he gnawed away as his sandwich, she couldn't help but smile at how happy he looked with it. "But you are welcome." She then took a bite of her own sandwich.

Soul paused and stared at her for a moment, seeming to debate over saying something, before looking down at his sandwich again. "You're a lot nicer than I ever thought you'd be, actually," He said slowly, hoping what he said didn't come out wrong. He had a bad tendency of saying the wrong thing in regards to girls.

Instead of receiving a Maka-Chop, however, Maka merely giggled at him. "I could say the same about you," She said lightly. She took another small sip of her water while leaning back against the trunk of the tree. "You're a lot more fun to talk to than I thought. I mean, we've always had out banter but I never really thought you were… Smart enough to hold up a serious conversation. And don't give me that look, Evans, up until we reached high school we were always in the same classes, so I knew your grades just as well as you knew mine."

"I never paid attention to that lame, boring stuff," He shrugged, locking eyes with her. There was a certain gleam in his eyes that made Maka's stomach do flips and her heart hammer faster. "My eyes were always focused on what you were doing, not on your grades. Your actions have always been much more interesting than tests and notebooks."

"Soul," She said softly, her breath catching in her throat. She didn't know what to say, what to think. The intensity of his stare made part of her want to look away but another part wanted to stay at this stalemate.

"To be honest, I've always thought you were really-" Soul was promptly cut off when there was suddenly feet on his head.

"Yahoo! Fret not, my faithful subjects, your God has arrived after long last!" Black*Star cackled happily, standing with his hands on his hips on top of Soul's head. The albino in question was currently hunched over with his head in the dirt, eye twitching as he resisted the urge to punch the blue-haired male right where it would hurt the most.

"Maka-Chop!" Maka snapped, flinging her dictionary right into Black*Star's head. He let out a loud noise and toppled over, the book falling harmlessly beside Soul as he sat back up. "What kind of an idiot are you? You could have seriously hurt Soul!"

"Thanks for that," He said while rubbing the back of his neck lightly. He picked up the book with his other hand and offered it back to her.

"No problem," She said, taking the book, "but are you really okay?"

"My neck hurts a little but I should be fine," He said calmly. He perked up and spotted Maka's friends heading over. While his attention was elsewhere, Maka's fingers lightly pressed over his own. He looked back at her in slight surprise, watching her give him a weak smile.

"I have an electric neck massager at home, for when my neck gets stiff after practicing a lot. You can use it tonight when we get back," She said in a chipper tone.

"Uh, thanks," He said, fending off a blush as she returned her attention back to her lunch. Liz looked between them with a raised eyebrow as she sat down Indian style beside Maka. Patty sat next to Liz, and Tsubaki next to her, so that the raven haired woman was situated between Soul and Patty.

"So, what's with the moron on the ground?" Liz asked curiously.

"He jumped on Soul's head like an idiot so I chopped him," Maka said with a shrug. Tsubaki twitched, as if she wanted to go over and help the other male, but she turned her nose up and let out a small 'harump'. After the girl talk the other day, it had been decided that Tsubaki should no longer waste her time trying to get Black*Star's attention. If he was going to treat her like that then she should just find a guy who would be good to her.

"How can you treat a God that way, mortal!" Said-idiot declared as he stood back up, a red imprint of the spine of the book present on his forehead. Maka shrugged and took another bite of her sandwich while Soul rolled his eyes and did the same. "And Tsubaki! How could you let them treat me like this without speaking up for me? You've always been my most loyal follower but you're starting to slack off!"

"That's right," Tsubaki said while glancing up at him coldly, "I have always been very loyal to you. I've always supported you, helped you and defended you when nobody else will even try to see the good in you. But you know what? I'm done with that! All you ever do is hurt me and call me your 'follower'! I didn't stay by your side because I was your follower; I did it because I thought we were friends! And, above all of that, I've always had a crush on you!" Her cheeks turned bright pink with the admission of her feelings but she pressed on.

She even ignored the stunned looks she received from the figures around her.

"You've never noticed, though. No matter how hard I tried to tell you, no matter how much I was there, you've always been more interested in yourself! Well, guess what? I'm not going to deal with it anymore! From now on, we're not friends and I'm not going to play your games!" She snapped, glaring at him.

Black*Star looked wounded, eyes wide in alarm and shining. All of them sucked in a breath at the sight. Since when could The Great Black*Star look so much like a kicked puppy cowering under a cardboard box in the rain? None of the girls knew whether it was his size or his usually exuberant attitude that made his sadness that much more difficult to witness but it was hard. He opened his mouth a few times as if to say something but he kept shutting it. Finally, with nothing said, he turned and walked away without another word.

"Do you think I was too hard on him?" Tsubaki fretted once he was out of sight.

"He'll bounce back after some time to lick his wounds," Soul said with a shrug, tossing the last bite of his sandwich into his mouth. He smirked and pointed at himself with his thumb once he had swallowed his food. "Trust me when I say he's too stupid to really think about what you said."

"I'm not so sure," Maka said, earning everyone's attention. She was staring down at a chip in her hands, examining it as if the image of Christ was present on it. "He seemed really upset. I've seen Black*Star in ever light except sincerely guilty. I think he really did realize that he's been messing up for a while and he doesn't know how to handle it."

"Like Chrona?" Patty suggested. Maka nodded at her.

"Yeah, like Chrona… Only much more obnoxious and show-offy," Maka stated. Soul smirked and quirked an eyebrow at her.

"Show-offy? To think your nerd-words would fail you when describing Black*Star," he said in mock disappointment. She sent a glare in his direction to which he snorted and grinned wider. "And is that even a real word? Show-offy?"

"Oh, shut up, Soul!" Maka snapped while her cheeks turned a bright red. He laughed while she crossed her arms, turned away and wore a pout on her features.

"Really? You're throwing a temper tantrum because I teased you a little? What are you, five?" He howled even louder, one hand around his waist and the other pointing at her. Maka growled, reached over, and swiped his bag of cookies. "Hey! Those are mine!"

"I made them, therefore I can confiscate them if you're going to be a jerk!" She said while turning her back to him and sticking her tongue out at him over her shoulder. He growled lowly and reached over, trying to snatch them away from her again, only to have her hold them out as far she could.

Liz watched the little battle play out and decided against protesting against it just yet. After all, it was kinda nice to see Maka and Soul getting along.

…

"So, you're saying it's a book about mass murder on national television?" Soul asked with a raised eyebrow, looking at the book Maka had offered to him. They were currently in the garage, Maka getting all her things properly put together since she had tossed them together rather sloppily. Before heading home they had hit her job to check her schedule and then the library to see if the books she had put on reserve had come in yet. After a few conversations in regards to reading, Maka recommended he read The Hunger Games. He was currently looking down at the paperback book with the golden bird on the cover after listening to the young woman explain the main gist of the plot to him.

"It's more than just that," She said with a small sigh, zipping her bag back up. She tossed it over her shoulder. "Just give it a read and you'll see what I mean."

"Whatever you say," He shrugged, pulling out his keys. The garage door was locked to assure that if someone was trying to break in through said room, they'd have a harder time getting into the actual house.

"Hey," She said as he tried to find the right key to get into the house. He made a small noise to signify he was listening. "What were you going to say, earlier? You know, right before Black*Star jumped on your head like a psycho?"

The young man actually dropped his keys and let out an alarmed yelp, looking at her over his shoulder. He had sort of been hoping that she'd forgotten about that little exchange, what with everything that occurred before he could finish the thought. He had realized that what he wanted to say could make things very awkward between the two of them. Considering that their parents were dating it would be weird for him to be honest; especially if she wasn't necessarily on the same page as him. "It was nothing, really," He said quickly, kneeling down to pick up his keys. She knelt down as well, picking the keys up and holding them out to him.

"Soul, you can tell me the truth," She said gently. He looked off to the side, to the keys, to the side again, and then finally at her. She could see the nervousness in his eyes and it made her feel nervous; nervous and, dare she say, excited? But what was she so excited about? She didn't even know what he was going to say!

But the thought of what he wanted to say that made him this uneasy had her curious and giddy to know.

"It's just… I've always really… liked… you," His words grew softer in hopes of them disappearing before reaching her ears. Sadly, the garage had always had really good acoustics. She sucked in a breath and started at him, eyes wide in surprise while her cheeks blushed a little bit. And suddenly, it was as if he couldn't be silenced. "You did what no one else in orchestra had the guts to do, you know? None of those kids would tell me what they really thought of me or my playing. None of them really treated me like a normal kid like the rest of them, just because of my family name, and I liked that about you. Sure, we were always slinging insults at each other but I thought it was fun. And you always looked so cute when you'd get flustered, or when you couldn't think of a witty response to something I said. But I didn't want to tell you because since our parents are kind of dating and all it makes things awkward and then there's always the risk of being rejected which is totally uncool and th-"

Maka silenced him by leaning in and lightly kissing him on the cheek. "Just… Stop talking, Soul," She giggled lightly, tilting her head and smiling shyly at him. He opened his mouth and then shut it again. "I… I really like you, too."

"Wha-? Really?" He asked in alarm, staring at her in surprise. She giggled and nodded while he blushed slightly. He opened his mouth again to say something when they heard a small clattering noise in the house. "What was that?"

"Dunno," She said, setting the keys in his hands. He quickly fumbled to get the door unlocked, threw the door open, and the pair rushed in. Needless to say, the sight that greeted the two teens was not particularly appealing.

Seeing your parent's macking it on the living room floor wasn't something that most kids would want to see upon walking in the door when returning home.

"Oh, my God!" Maka and Soul practically squealed in disgust, alerting both adults to their present.

"Maka! Soul! What are you doing home so soon?" William yelped from his position hovering over Kami.

"Your hand! Up my Mama's shirt!" Maka yelped while covering her face with her hands. Soul had a hand clamped over his mouth as if trying to fight back bile.

"Oh, dear!" Kami squeaked, yanking her shirt back down over midriff while William returned his hand to his side.

"They're **swapping spit**!" Soul declared.

"**They're our parents** and **they were playing tonsil hockey**!" Maka rebuked loudly. Both the adults were horrified as well.

"**Rooms! Now!**" William snapped loudly, pointing toward the staircase. Both teen squeaked but did as told, clamoring up the stairs noisily. Soul and Maka paused in front of their respective doors, turning to glance at one another.

"Um… Later," He said awkwardly.

"Later," She mumbled back before they disappeared into their rooms. Reality, they realized, was a cruel bitch. Seeing their parents down there canoodling like teenagers had alerted the two to the true difficulty of their situation.

How could they even hope to try a relationship with their parents like that?

…

Liz had arrived at the Death household right after dropping her sister off at their apartment. Kid was sitting in the other office in the house, working on his homework, when Shinigami-Sama let her in. "Now, Kiddo, make sure to play nice~!" He had cheered before shutting the door and leaving the two teens to deal with awkward atmosphere around them.

"So… Uh, it's really nice in here. Very… Organized," Liz commented, arms laced behind her back and the toe of her sneaker tapping against the carpet. She looked at all the framed degrees and awards, the bookcase in order that would make a librarian weep in glee, and the desk that was in just as tip-top shape. Kid glanced at her before looking back down at his assignments.

"Thank you," He said softly. Liz took this as an invitation to get a little closer and plopped down into one of the chairs that sat before the desk. She pondered over the humor of Kid's office being set up like a conference room (like his father's office) but decided to censor herself. Instead, she picked up a picture frame that sat on the desk, turned to face the young man.

Inside the dark oak frame was a picture of what appeared to be Kid as a little boy. He was wearing a plain white T-shirt and khaki boy shorts. He was smiling widely and he was coated in mud splotches here and there. "Oh, Kid, you were so cute!" She gushed excitedly before noticing the other figure with him. It was a woman, wearing overalls and a long sleeved flannel shirt underneath. She had an arm wrapped around Kid, her chin on top of his head, and was grinning as well. Her hair was a powdery white and her eyes were the same gold as Kid's. They both looked completely thrilled. "Is that your mom?"

"That is a picture of my mother and I, yes," He said quickly, snatching it away. His cheeks were stained a bright pink that made the blonde grin at him. "And I would appreciate it if you would refrain from grabbing my things without asking permission."

"Sorry, sorry," She giggled. She watched him readjust the frame to its exact same spot before she decided to speak up again. "So, when does your mom get home? I kinda want to meet her."

"She doesn't live here anymore," He said flatly, glaring back down at his homework and picking up his pencil. She watched him in silence before he glanced up, seeing her expectant look. "My parents divorced when I was about six. My mother left the city to find a job, so I was placed in my father's care. From what I've heard she's remarried and had a few more children since then."

"Doesn't she call? Or write or anything?" Liz asked in alarm. Looking at that picture they seemed so close, to love each other so deeply. His mother had to have tried, right?

"I guess she just hasn't found the time what with taking care of her new family," He said with a small shrug, eyes still cast downward. He set his pencil back down and looked up at her, an almost desperate gleam to his eyes. "Look, I really need to finish my homework. As I am sure you know, we must maintain a certain GPA to be kept in the academy; my father may be the headmaster but I am not excluded from any of these rules. Feel free to get out your own books and take care of your homework, if you'd like. There's plenty of room on the desk for your things as well."

"Oh, sure. Thanks," She said meekly, pulling her bag into her lap. She understood his effort to dodge the subject and couldn't really blame him. After all, hadn't she been the one making his life miserable for the longest time? Nobody would want to open up to a person like that.

End

Notes:

Blair hasn't been as big a character in the development of the plot as I had originally wanted. I guess I'll have to go on ahead and fix that in the next few chapters, won't I?

I portrayed Kid's parents as the victims of unfortunate circumstances in my other story. Here? They both fucked up. I'm shakin' shit up, yo! B)

Uploaded a new poll and I'd love it if you all could vote on it.

Was planning on updating a few days ago, but the website was glitching up and wouldn't load the log-in screen for me. Story of my life; as soon as I finally reach the point where I am able to update, something has to hold me back from doing it. :T

Oh, and also, I figured I would clear this up; the students are separated based on gender during class time but are allowed to socialize before school and during lunch. Why am I only explaining this now? Certainly not because I forgot about that plot point until I started writing this chapter, that's for sure! :3

Next Chapter:

The entire orchestra class heads out on their field trip to California and, more specifically, Disneyland! A stowaway is found when it is far too late, more distracting figures throw themselves into the mix and it doesn't go over well. Secrets are revealed and bonding moments are shared in the happiest place on Earth.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Ten: This Stupid Trip (Part One)

Nobody ever started packing until the last night with these things and they all knew it; did this make them decide to break the tradition and start preparing gradually? Of course not! You're only a teenager in high school once, after all! "Do you think I'll need all my make-up? I mean, sure, it's only for a week but a week is a long time," Liz tutted lightly, tapping her chin with her finger. They had Maka and Tsubaki on a speaker conference call while she and Patty were getting things put together. She suddenly gasped. "And what about that day we're planning on spending at the beach? There are bound to be a whole ton of hot guys just waiting to be snatched up!"

"Sis is still boy crazy on vacation!" Patty giggled as she stuffed her giraffe print slippers into her own suitcase. A suitcase, Liz always found interestingly enough, that was printed with tiger stripes.

"Well, at least we're going to the beach on the first day. Since Mr. Evans and I live under the same roof now I saw the itinerary. Tomorrow we'll spend the day in the hotel relaxing and getting settled in. The day after that we're going to go down to Huntington Beach, the day after that we're going to Disney, and the third day will be spent at Universal Studios. The fourth day we'll be going to The Sunset Strip and doing shopping most of the day, followed by a dinner at the Hard Rock Café. Day six we're going to go tour around a college campus music hall and later that night we'll be going to see a huge symphony performance. On the last day we'll be spending the whole day at Disneyland again and then, around six o'clock, we'll have dinner and start the drive home. And to top off the whole beach trip, Liz is the only one among us with someone she isn't actively interested in," Maka commented airily, turning the page of her book. She was currently lounging on the bed on her stomach, the book Mockingjay placed before her. She had the phone on speaker in one hand and held it closer to her mouth when she spoke to assure she would be heard.

"Wait, you like someone, Maka?" Tsubaki chimed in suddenly, sounding excited suddenly. There was a chorus of eager squeals from the other two women and suddenly Maka's eye started twitching. Ah, she had made a terrible miscalculation there. She cursed Katniss Everdeen for having such enthralling adventures that distracted her from censoring her words!

"Who is it? Who is it?" Liz and Patty demanded in unison. Maka winced and held the phone away from herself a bit. She sent a glare to the now chuckling other presence in the room with her.

"Look, I meant to say that for once there isn't someone Liz is interested in; not that I myself have a crush on anyone," She said patiently. She placed her bookmark into the book and quietly shut it. She didn't want to dig herself deeper into the hole because she decided she wanted to try and read while on the phone with her girlfriends.

"Oh, no, that is such bull! You are so trying to lie and sucking at it, Maka Albarn!" Liz cackled, sounding almost drunk with delight. It was rare that the younger blonde would ever have a crush. Normally she was too busy studying or trying to one-up Soul Evans to focus on the opposite sex; top that off with her terrible opinion of men and she wasn't necessarily dying for company. So imagine their delight at the fact Maka really was a teenage girl underneath it all!

"Maka can't lie! Maka can't lie!" Patty sang eagerly in the background.

Tsubaki giggled but joined in as a voice of reason among the impending chaos. "Now, we shouldn't pressure her. I'm sure Maka will tell us in person tomorrow morning when we board the bus to head to California," She said brightly. She was answered by two merry agreements and a low groan from the other.

"Gee, thanks," She said flatly, smacking her forehead lightly. She then picked up a pillow from by her feet and threw it at her companion. Her companion whom, might she add, had started full out laughing as it was made clear she'd be getting a rude interrogation session the following morning.

"Ah, what the Hell? I'm at the boss!" The other yelped loudly in a familiar baritone. They turned their attention back to screen and started cursing as they frantically threw their arms this way and that, trying to regain the edge in battle.

"Wait just a minute! Is that Soul?" Liz gasped suddenly. Maka blushed immediately simply because she could envision the gleam that would undoubtedly be in those large cerulean orbs.

"Sorry, I'm going through a tunnel! See you guys in the morning!" She said while scrambling into sitting up.

"Maka Albarn, don't you **dare**-!" And then, with a click, Liz was silenced from protesting. Jade orbs shifted from the phone to the back of the male she was currently mad at.

"I thought I told you I would only hang out in here with you if you were quiet during my phone call?" She asked with a huff, crossing her arms over her chest. He clicked a button on his WiiMote and turned to look at her.

She would have been angrier if he wasn't flashing his most charming smile. It was a rare thing that he would smile in this way, that made him have this peculiar boyish charm. He would just smile without showing his teeth – a "Monkey face" smile, as her Mama always called it – but it was just so cute. She couldn't help but feel a little ting of pink come to her cheeks at the sight of it. "It's not my fault girl talk is so funny," He said simply before turning back to the screen.

Soul had been obsessed with Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword ever since he's gotten his hands on it. A new routine had arrived for their relationship. Since their parents had been spending most of the nights going out with friends or just doing things together, once the coast was clear Maka would head into his room. She would lounge on his bed, reading one of her books or studying, while he played his new little addiction. "What do you guys talk about, then?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"We talk about sports," He said with a small grunt, thrusting his arm in a slashing motion, "and shit like that. Sometimes we talk about girls but typically it's just to rate them on sex appeal and general charm." Her eye started to twitch at this little confession. "Oh, and don't even think about trying to Maka-Chop me right now. The bosses in this game are ridiculously hard and if I lose because of you I will break up with you."

Ah, yes, down to the whole sordid affair. Shortly after their little revelation that they did in fact like each other that way (and getting over the trauma of seeing their parents snogging in the living room) they started to discuss how to handle it. Their family would never accept it; after all, from the looks of it they were going to be step-siblings soon enough. Their friends would never be okay with it; things between Black*Star and Tsubaki were at a standstill since he refused to apologize and she, for once, was standing her ground. Not only that, but Liz and Patty still had some misgivings about the Evans boy in question and Black*Star the same toward Maka. It was all topped off with if they did start dating the rumor mill would just take off and they'd never be able to feel respected by their classmates again.

Thus, only one solution seemed logical for the pair; start dating in secret.

It was a good plan, too, in their opinions. With how little time their parents were home they would never get suspicious. They couldn't be outwardly affectionate at school but that worked as well since they didn't want to be "**that couple**" anyway. They could take jabs at one another in the group without it being viewed as flirtatious by their friends since that was just their way with one another. Meanwhile, at home, they could do some of the things that couples their age did. They would watch movies, play games, eat dinner together, make out on Soul's bedroom floor; and all while still seeming to just be well-adjusted kids.

As things stood, they were simply enjoying their time together as they could. Plus without their friends knowing they didn't need to worry too much about being swamped with questions about their status. She let out a small noise of disagreement but resumed her reading. She decided to let it go since he had, as she asked, finished packing right when they got home from shopping for their toiletries for the trip. It was relatively silent (aside from the occasional swear from Soul) until finally he whooped and pumped his fist in the air. "Fuck yeah! Take that, you flaming eyeball!" He cheered happily.

She glanced up and smiled, watching the cut scene play out with him. "Congrats," She said simply, looking back down at her book again. She had about two chapters left and she'd been hoping to finish it before tomorrow. She would never be able to finish on the bus ride up since they'd all be too preoccupied talking and watching the movies. She heard Soul humming lightly as he saved up and turned his attention back to her.

"Hey," He said lightly, causing her to look up at him. He grinned before pulling her right off the bed and sweeping her into his lap. "Wanna watch a movie?" He asked.

"What did you have in mind?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. He shrugged, using his remote to shift to his DVD player.

"Whatever one you want," He said calmly. He pointed toward the small collection he had on a shelf beside the television. "I picked last time so it's your turn."

She slipped out of his grasp and headed over, looking through. She picked out one case and blinked a few times, smirking at him cheekily. "I didn't peg you as a fan of the movie _Uptown Girls_." She teased while waving said disc in the air. He blushed frantically and went to snatch it away from her. She leaned back and held it out of his reach.

"That isn't mine! Tsubaki must have left it here or something!" He protested quickly. She merely laughed and crawled away, pressing the button and placing the disc in the DVD player. She then returned to him, settling in and nuzzling into his shoulder, as the trailers started up. He was pouting but he didn't make any more vocal protests to the decision of the film, or where exactly it came from.

…

"Okay," Liz drawled slowly, her eye starting to twitch, "it was cute when they were doing it during _I Just Can't Wait to be King_. It was kinda funny when they did it through _Be Prepared_. But, I swear to God, doing it during _Hakuna Matata_ is taking it a step too far!" She whirled around in her seat and sent a glare to the gaggle of laughing guys in the back of the bus.

By "it", she was referring to five members of the tuba section playing little plastic kazoos along with every song that had been sung thus far in the movie.

Everybody was already running on empty, what with having to get up at six in the morning to show up at the school to get everything packed up on the bus. After getting all three busses loaded with instruments, tuners and every student's baggage, they had all been gathered up in the auditorium to be read the rules and guidelines. It was eight o'clock when they were moved to the large room, and almost nine thirty before the headmaster was down giving his speech about why the rules were arranged in the first place (Kid had nearly wept with joy when he realized that his father's speech had been exactly 88 minutes in length). It was then that William Evans had taken center stage to introduce the cast of characters that would be playing the role of "chaperones" for the little trip.

Aside from the obvious of himself, the band instructor and the choir teacher, there was the added threat of Wesley Evans (whom had signed up as soon as Kami had revealed she'd be unable to attend). That alone had made Soul look as f he was ready to fall to his knees and weep like a child whose candy had just been snatched away. It had taken all Maka's self-control not to laugh until she saw the other four chaperones participating.

She should have seen it coming; after all, she had heard that Spellcasters had decided to postpone their world-wide tour yet again. It wasn't until she saw Blair on stage, all a twitter and gushing how excited she was that she really understood what that meant. It appeared that again her childhood defenders were playing the role of her guardians (perhaps at the request of her overprotective father, which she wouldn't doubt) against her wishes. She sank lower into her seat and groaned. Soul, whom was sitting behind her, leaned over. "Can they really keep delaying their tour just to stalk you?" He whispered softly.

"Apparently they can," She had whimpered lightly. That was how they ended up sitting on the bus with Wes and Blair. The two were sitting in the seats right in front of Soul and Kid, whom were seated across the small aisle from Maka and Tsubaki. Liz and Patty were seated in front of Maka and Tsubaki while Free and Eruka were behind Soul and Kid. It was only a four hour drive to get to Disneyland from their home but there was a touch of traffic, and the movies were meant to be a distraction of sorts.

The tuba section had apparently decided this wasn't interesting enough.

"If you don't stop playing that damn kazoo, Dougie Smithson, I will come back there and shove that thing down your throat! I know you're the one leading the show!" Liz snarled, jumping up in her seat. She had her knees on the cushion, her hand clenched on the headrest of the while the other shook her fist in the air. Tsubaki, whom had taken the window seat behind the other young woman, whimpered lowly.

"Liz, please, calm down," She said meekly, holding up her hands. Patty was laughing eagerly, watching and praying her sister would spring into action. Maka had her elbow on the armrest that led to the aisle, holding up her head, in a posture more suited for the albino across the aisle from her. He was smirking, glancing up at her from his PSP.

"Why don't you come back here and force me to stop, Thompson?" The tuba player goaded loudly, snorting like a pig with his laughter. Liz probably would have gone into attack mode, too, if not for the singer of their group holding her in place. Jade orbs flickered between them to their would-be chaperones.

Blair and Wes were clearly too busy flirting with one another. What made her think that? Well, it may have just been her intuition… Or the fact her older step-brother had one arm over her shoulder, tilting the indigo haired woman's head up by the chin with his other… Or the fact Blair's hands were on the young man's thigh while her chest was pressed up against his ribcage… but she could just tell they were more interested in one another. Eruka was looking through a magazine, smiling and humming to herself as she looked at all the different things that California had to offer. She was also probably checking which ones the school trip would include in them. And, lastly, was Free, who was searching the internet on his Android. Well, she may as well step in and get things handled as safely as possible.

"Free?" She asked in a soft, sweet coo. Kid, Soul, her girlfriends and said male all turned to look at her. She had fixed her posture, setting her folded hands in her lap, and plastered on an adorable little pout that had a strange mix of nervousness to it.

"What is it, Maka-Chan?" He asked, tone suddenly alert and concerned. Eruka glanced over casually before rolling her eyes and shaking her head. She was used to seeing her naïve boyfriend get manipulated by everyone, herself included, because of his somewhat valiant nature.

"Um... Would you… If it isn't a bother," She trailed lightly, glancing back at the cackling and tooting kazoo players in the back. He followed her gaze and blinked before turning back to her.

"Oh, sure thing," He said casually while pushing himself up from his seat. He walked over to the back and all eyes followed him. Well, except for Maka, Eruka, Blair and Wesley. He calmly took one of the kazoos, snapped it in half with the greatest of ease, and then dropping it into Dougie Smithson's lap. He repeated this with the other four kazoos. "So, how about we all have a nice and relaxing rest of the drive, okay?" He asked calmly.

All four boys, pale as sheets, could only stutter out gibberish and nod their heads. He smiled, nodded at them, and then headed back to the front. Liz and Patty were both howling in delight, Tsubaki looked absolutely shocked, Kid was smirking a bit and Soul was snickering. "Thank you, Free-Kun!" Maka said happily, sitting up to give him a peck on the cheek.

He responded with a warm smile and giving her head a little pat. "Aw, anything for you," He said happily. He then returned to his seat, turning his attention to what his girlfriend was peering over and starting up a quiet conversation with her.

The rest of the drive was nice and peaceful, silent thanks being sent to the ashy haired girl whom had gotten the kazoo incident handled.

The busses pulled into their hotel and everyone got settled in. Luckily enough, they had been allowed to pick their own rooms though there were a few restrictions. The one that had dampened Maka, Liz and Patty's moods was that they had to be partnered up with six girls from their designated group, or, rather, their fine arts program. Because of this, three freshmen that weren't even members of their sections from the lower orchestra class had been placed in their rooms. On the plus side, the three freshmen were friends and had no problem trying to squeeze all three of them onto one of the two king-sized beds they were given in their room. Therefore, by default, Liz and Patty partnered up with the other king-sized and Maka had volunteered to take the pull-out bed within the couch.

Needless to say, Maka was grateful to know she wouldn't have to share a bed with a stranger.

Soul was in a similar predicament, though he was better off than she was. His room consisted of he, Kid, Kilik, and Wesley (their room being on the smaller side since there were less boys that needed to be placed last minute than anticipated). Today was for the kids to get settled in and explore the hotel and partake in things like the pool or the game lounge allowed for the guests. The only rule was that everyone be back in their rooms for the rest of the night by ten o'clock that evening. Given that it was currently only about two in the afternoon, most kids were thinking of lunch. Maka, Liz, and Patty were heading to meet up with Soul and Kid to head to the small restaurant offered here in the hotel when they spotted an interesting scene.

Black*Star, whom was a member of no fine arts program, was being questioned by Will Evans and the band instructor. Soul was leaning against the wall next to his hotel room, a few feet away from the trio, with Kid next to him. Tsubaki inched a little closer to Maka, feeling uncomfortable when viridian orbs shifted from adults to her.

"What the Hell is he doing here?" Liz asked flatly, nodding her head toward the bluenette.

"He hid in the baggage compartment on the third bus," Soul explained simply. He shrugged as he pushed off the wall. "He must have snuck in their while we were all in the auditorium getting briefed on what was expected of us."

"Damn," Maka mumbled lightly in awe. She had to give Black*Star a little credit; never had she seen someone do something so simultaneously stupid yet also clever at the same time. As long as one could handle being jostled about and hit with heavy bags than they could probably be fine for a few hours in the underneath portion of the busses they had taken, actually. "So, what exactly are they going to do with him now?" She asked, watching as Will led the teenage stowaway off with him.

It was Kid who chimed in at this point. "They aren't sure since nothing like this has ever happened before," He commented evenly. No one in their group argued that point with him, what with his father being the big boss and all. "They're going to call my father and see how he wants the situation handled rather than take a wild guess."

"But why did he do it?" Tsubaki piped in suddenly, azure eyes alive with concern and interest. Soul glanced at her before chuckling lightly and shaking his head.

"Why else? To try and win you back, of course," He said as if it was obvious. She blushed while the three blonde women looked at him skeptically. "Black*Star's loud, rude, and usually pretty self-centered but even he can understand when he's made a mistake. And what with him considering himself a God, he feels that he needs to make his apologetic gesture a grand one."

"Anyway," Kid cut in suddenly, clearing his throat. He held up a small deck of playing cards, a grin on his face. "Why don't we get lunch and then play cards in the lounge?" He suggested in hopes of alleviating the tension, if only a bit.

Maka had noticed it, just the same as she was sure as the others. Ever since his little chats with Liz started, Kid was beginning to become a little less stuffy. It was strange, seeing such a prim and proper young man begin to act like most other boys his age. It was also refreshing and helped them to feel more comfortable with him. "Sure, but no matter what game it is, I'm going to kick your ass," Liz beamed merrily.

"That's what you think," He hummed before heading off.

"Oh, it is on!" The blonde laughed, chasing after him. Patty was close behind, and Maka grinned at Soul. It was nice for things to be like this.

Maybe the trip would still be fun, even with Black*Star's startling arrival on the scene.

…

"Hey, I'm going to go get us some ice," Soul said calmly at about eight o'clock. Maka glanced up at him from their perches at a large coffee table. Kid was seated in a lounge chair at one end while Liz and Patty were settled into the small loveseat to his right. Maka and Tsubaki were on the love seat to his left, and Soul had been seated in the chair across from Kid. He picked up their empty container of ice and nodded his head toward their empty glasses on the coasters. "I figure we'll need a little more ice if we're going to stay here until last call."

"I'll go with you," Maka said simply, standing up and brushing off her skirt. Liz glanced up from her cards but then ignored it. They had been told not to be caught wondering around without at least one other student with you. Besides that, she didn't want to lose yet another hand to **Death the friggin' Kid**. Who would have thought he would be a champion at poker?

"Cool," Soul said with a small smirk, turning and heading toward the door. She followed after him quickly but quietly. The ice machine was down the hall, in a tiny room with two vending machines. Once the two were inside and the door was shut, Maka found her back to the door and a grinning Soul leaning very closely into her personal space. "Our friends are awesome and everything, but, damn, I've wanted to get you alone for a while."

"We can't be gone long," She commented lightly, thought she didn't protest when one of his fingers curled around the ends of one of her pigtails. He chuckled before lightly brushing his lips against hers, receiving her responding eagerly. She hummed and one of her arms wrapped around his neck. Soul pulled away for a second to set the empty bin over by the machine, just a centimeter or so away from the little trigger that would send the ice tumbling out.

He then returned to her, arms slipping around her waist to pull her closer. She giggled lightly, her arms snaking completely around his neck and kissing him again. One of her hands tangled in his hair while she relaxed completely into his embrace. The pair always enjoyed the moments they could be like this, since it occurred a lot less than they would have preferred.

Why couldn't they just get to be normal teenagers in love?

End

Notes:

Poll is still up because I would like to try and weasel a few more votes out of those of you who haven't yet. :D

I was originally going to make this one big, long ass chapter but I decided against it. I figured that breaking it up would make it easier to read, as well as keep me from cutting anything out for fear of overloading the chapter.

I have, in fact, seen the movie _Uptown Girls_. It made me cry. :(

Confession time: some of the events in this chapter are from my actual life. My freshmen year I went to Disneyland (though our trip was for only three days, so we didn't get to do nearly as much as the crew will in this story) and some very… interesting things happened. If you want a full explanation on what was true, what the circumstances were and all that jazz just send me a note.

Next Chapter:

The group gets to hit the beach and tons of insanity follows! Liz proves that she is a better detective than anyone ever gave her credit for, while Blair comes up short in that respect. Black*Star proves that he is not a man or a mouse; as well as that he has a secret fear no one was expecting. More heart-pounding realizations and insane shenanigans strike our cast!


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot. I thought about breaking this into three parts but I really didn't want to. Thus, please enjoy this very long chapter. Because it will never happen again in this story. :3

Chapter Eleven: This Stupid Trip (Part Two)

Everyone was awake and munching on breakfast at nine, and getting ready to head to the beach by nine thirty. The students had been told to simply wear their bathing suits under some casual clothes they could ditch once on the sands of the shore. Maka was shifting uncomfortable in the oversized blue shirt and white booty shorts, which were not even visible under her shirt, and lightly tapping the sides of her light yellow flip-flops against one another. The shirt reached her knees and she had tied her hair back in a single ponytail today. She was seated with a large pink and white spotted beach tote in her lap, keeping her towel, sunscreen, her book and a small portable stereo that would connect to her iPod within so they'd be easier to carry. "Are you guys almost ready? The others have already left," She called lightly.

Liz walked over, a black hair tie in her mouth and her hair pressed to her head with her hands. She had yet to put on an outfit over her swim wear, giving Maka a good view. It was a pretty little bikini with horizontal blue and white stripes that complimented Liz' figure quite well. Thin straps went up and tied at the back of her neck, and the top revealed quite a bit of her friend's generous torso. At the spot right between her breasts, where the two pieces of fabric that covered her goodies from complete view, was a striped yellow bow that added an innocent charm that the swimsuit… Well, it really couldn't make use of. There were ribbons that matched the one on the chest on either side of Liz' hips, tied into cute bows, which kept the bottom portion attached. "That's quite the swimsuit," Maka remarked, looking down at her feet. Her toes wriggled in discomfort.

The other girl grabbed the hair tie with one hand, twisted her hair into a sloppy bun then smiled brightly. "Isn't it, though? If this doesn't get some guy looking at me I'll be pissed!" She snapped eagerly. She then looked at Maka and raised an eyebrow. "What about yours? I hope you got something new to replace that ugly green one piece you've been wearing since, like sixth grade."

Maka's cheeks flamed to life and she glared at the other. "I liked that swimsuit but no, I'm not wearing it! It got too… tight around… Yeah… So I got a new one a few days before the trip!" She stammered out nervously. Sapphire orbs twinkled with mischief before she walked closer, invading Maka's personal space.

"You mean to tell me that Maka Albarn had to get a new swimsuit because she's developed some lovely lady lumps?" She sang excitedly. She grinned when her victim turned ten darker shades of red. She was having way too much fun. "Does that swimsuit highlight your goodies or did you get another nasty one piece?"

Suddenly, a navy blue colored garment landed right on Liz' head, hiding her face behind the fabric. Laughter could be heard from the other side of the room, and Maka turned her gaze to find Patty approaching them. "Sis, you had a rape face going!" She laughed happily. The younger Thomson Sister had clearly gone with something less flashy (though, with her equally stunning figure, there was no such thing as modest). Her swimsuit was a coral pink bikini that tied around the back, much like her sister's. The main exception was that the only detail was two little strings tied into ribbons on either hip, but they were not used to hold her suit up. They were just added decoration. Though the top went around her breasts completely in a square-ish figure that covered everything, it still accented the size and a bit of cleavage. Patty had a pair of sunglasses on and a red tube top dress in one arm.

"It's not my fault Maka was being so damn cute," Liz teased merrily. Maka huffed as she stood up while the Thompson sisters put on their little dresses and grabbed their bags. The dirty blonde threw open the door, singing loudly and intentionally off-key, "_Her humps, her humps, Maka's lovely lady lumps~!_ (1)"

"What the Hell are you going on?" Soul gruff tone cut her off as the three exited, Patty shutting the door with a loud slam as the last one out. He stood there, wearing a pair of shades much like Patty. He had on black leather sandals and a pair of swim trunks that were black with blue flames going up the ends at his knees. What got to the girls, however, was **the painfully loud red Hawaiian print shirt he was wearing**.

Both Thompson sisters started guffawing at him more than willingly. "What the Hell are you wearing, Evans? Did you get dressed in the dark or something?" She howled, pointing at him. Maka looked at Soul, now growling and blushing slightly, before giving Liz a small shove.

"Let him alone, Liz. I think it's kinda cute," She said with an adorable smile. All three figures gawked at her, in awe at how damn innocent she looked in those oversized clothes and with her hair up in a pony tail. Soul turned significantly redder at this statement.

Patty suddenly hugged the other, giggling loudly. "Maka's so cute!" She cheered, making the other girl blush and try to push her off frantically. Meanwhile, Liz turned her attention to Soul.

"So, where's Kid?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Last I saw him, he was yakking up in a bush because of the asymmetry of me and Black*Star's shirts," He said with a frown, "which, by the way, is where I got this stupid thing. I forgot to pack a shirt to wear until we got to the beach and Wes wouldn't let me just use the same one I wore yesterday. And, since Black*Star accidently tossed an extra in his bag, I got stuck with this."

Liz sighed and shook her head, shifting her bag on her shoulder. "I'll go find Kid and get him settled on the bus real fast. Maybe I can talk him down from having a nervous breakdown, since I somehow doubt you guys are the only ones wearing Hawaiian print today," She said before marching off. Soul shrugged to himself as Tsubaki and Black*Star came trotting up, since the other had run off to talk to her before they got on the bus. They seemed a touch more comfortable around one another, but Tsubaki's cheeks were faintly pink and she seemed really embarrassed.

"Ready to go, you two?" Soul asked with a quirked eyebrow. They both nodded mutely, which had the other three suddenly worried. **Since when did the Great Black*Star shut his mouth**?

On the bus, the situation had to be worked a little differently. To assure Kid would survive the ride, Liz had to trade spots with Soul so she could be next to the other. However, Soul and Patty didn't feel comfortable sitting next to one another so Tsubaki offered to trade spots with Soul. Thus, Soul and Maka ended up next to each other (though they were both delighted but couldn't show it). Since there were no other spots left, Black*Star got stuck in the back seat with Dougie Smithson and the rest of the tuba section. Maka had noticed that the individuals whom played the rules of annoying bus-mates the day before had actually managed to get more kazoos; none of them, however, dared to play them.

She assumed they thought Black*Star was a spy sent to handle them if they tried anything like they had pulled the other day.

The drive to the beach was filled with the hum of excited chatter among all groups and was much more comfortable than the drive to get to the hotel had been. Once all the students were gathered up and told the rules, they were allowed to form groups and given umbrellas, depending on group size. Maka's group required two umbrellas, since there was to be seven of them. While Liz, Maka, Patty and Tsubaki finished getting their things settled, the guys ditched their shirts and bags with them and headed out to the oceans with tons of other students. Maka rolled her eyes and took the time to fold all three shirts before placing them on each boy's respective bag.

Tsubaki, Liz and Patty ditched their over-clothes to start lathering up with sunscreen. This revealed Tsubaki to be wearing a bright yet charming orange one piece. It had a strap over the left shoulder, a round metal piece holding the piece of fabric that came up over the back together with the piece in the front. There was also a missing patch of fabric over her slim abdomen in the shape of a diamond, leaving her naval and flesh more revealed.

It was as Maka was helping her get some sun block on the portion of her back that she couldn't reached that she revealed what had transpired between she and Black*Star.

"**HE KISSED YOU**?" Liz screeched loudly, causing a few nearby students to perk up in interest and gaze their way. Tsubaki's face flamed to life and she flailed her arms uselessly, her words doing her no good in this situation. Liz glared at a few of the gawkers before looking at the inky haired woman apologetically. "Sorry, it's just so… shocking."

"How do you think I felt? I wasn't expecting it any more than you three were!" She squeaked like a little mouse, her face playing the role of a tomato.

"What did he say?" Maka asked interestedly.

"He said he wants me to give him a chance, to prove that he can be better to me. He also said that he lo… lo… really likes me a whole lot," She said quickly, unable to utter the four-letter most girls dreamed of. Her face was starting to turn back to its normal peachy glow as she pondered her situation completely. "I told him I needed some time, to think about it. Then he got really serious and looked really sad, but he said he'd respect whatever decision I made."

"At least he was being respectful in that regard," Patty chimed in merrily. She then giggled loudly. "You're better off than Sis, anyway! Black*Star kissed you in yet Kid didn't say one word about her swimsuit and she wore it just for him!"

And suddenly Liz was blushing, and all incredulous looks were sent to her. "Patty!" She hissed angrily, but the younger girl only laughed happily. She then blushed and a small smile came to her lips. "Besides, that isn't true… He said that the swimsuit was very symmetrical and charming on me…"

Maka, Tsubaki, and Patty were all openly laughing at their ring leader.

"What?" She snapped angrily. Maka covered her mouth and perked one eye at the other girl, viridian sphere alive with joy.

"It's just cute, Liz. You've always said you wanted a bad boy that you could whip into submission, in yet you're falling for a relatively sophisticated guy. After all, his father is the headmaster and he's always lived in the lap of luxury," She pointed out gently.

"Maka's right. Kid is basically the modern day equivalent to Prince Charming," Tsubaki agreed, glancing out to the sea. Soul and Black*Star were trying to dunk one another while Kid shook his head at their antics. They were splashing a few other students, whom Kid was immediately apologizing to in his friends' stead. "Plus he's always been pretty good at diffusing a situation… Or, rather, he's always been able to knock Black*Star down a peg or two when he gets too energetic."

"Wait," Liz said slowly, "you mean Kid, as in Death the Kid, right over there, can and has kicked Black*Star's ass?" The other girl merely nodded and she let out a loud groan. "Great! Now I think he's ever better than I did before!" She whined.

"You aren't the only one who likes Kid, you know," Maka chimed in, setting up her stereo and pulling out her book. She picked a song, turned the volume down low and turned back to her friends. "There are tons of girls in our grade alone that think he's a hot commodity. Plus, you have a hand up against them considering you go to his house once a week and probably know more about his personal life than any other girl on campus. I think if you work your angle a little more you could probably get him to be yours."

"You have a point," Liz hummed lightly. She then smirked over at Maka, azure orbs twinkling in mischief. "But what about you, Maka? We all know who Patty and Tsubaki like, now you know who I like, but what about you?"

"What are you talking about? I told you guys I don't like anybody!" She hissed quickly, opening her book and holding it up to hide her face. Maybe if she was evasive they would just let the subject die.

She should have known better.

Liz suddenly pounced forward, grabbing at the hem of the other girl's shirt and started tugging it up. "Nice try Maka, but I know better! Now ditch your clothes and strut your stuff! How else will you get this guy to notice you?" She mused while Maka tried frantically to yank the shirt back down.

"Liz, quit it!" She yelped loudly, trying to squirm away. The other girl got a hand around her waist, however, and suddenly her eyes sparked to life with excitement.

"I feel skin! Maka is totally wearing something that shows skin!" She howled eagerly, Maka's squirming becoming that much worse at the declaration. A few other students suddenly perked up, glancing over at the whole spectacle with acute interest. Even Soul and the other guys, whom had abandoned the water to play volleyball against Kilik, Harvar and Ox, looked over in interest.

"Is Liz trying to molest Maka?" Ox asked with his head tilted. Harvar smirked a touch while Kilik laughed at them. Black*Star was cackling like a hyena watching the two girls scrambling around like idiots while Kid smacked his forehead lightly. Soul quirked an eyebrow at the going ons before Maka abruptly stood up, her hands fisted at her sides.

She turned on her heels and looked down at her friends, face flushed and an embarrassed scowl on her lips. "Do you really want to know that bad? Fine!" She snapped before grabbing the bottom of her shirt and yanking it over her head. She tossed it on the ground next to her bag, and then abandoned the shorts she had won underneath. She smoothed out the material of the bottom a little, then set her hands on her hips and looked back at her audience. "There! Happy?"

The swimsuit was adorable to say the least. As Liz had suspected, it revealed quite a bit of skin of the younger girl. The top was a bikini style that tied around her back underneath her breasts and had a small buckle that hooked together at the back of her neck. It revealed very little of her chest, but did prove she had more curves than her uniform blazer ever hinted at. Her entire midriff was on display for all to see, and the bottom had a small sash of fabric that hid the actual bikini style bottom from view. The fabric went about an inch and a half over her thighs, resembling a skirt of sorts. The fabric was held in place with a pink flower shaped clip on her left hip. The whole swimsuit was in a powdery tint of white that looked great on Maka. "Oh, Maka, you look so cute!" Tsubaki gushed excitedly, eyes shimmering brightly.

"Maka-Chan, you really did bring the swimsuit Bu-Tan picked for you nyah~! Bu-Tan is so happy nyah~!" Blair suddenly squealed as she ran over, throwing her arms around the other girl. Maka's cheeks had again flamed to life at all the eyes now trapped on her and the whispers that went with it.

"I didn't have a choice! My old one didn't fit and you hid the one I picked out for myself!" She called back while trying to squirm out of the bear hug being forced upon her. After she got away, everyone's attention returned to where it had been previously.

Or, in Soul's case, trying to hide the evidence of the slight bloody nose he had gotten.

It was another hour before Soul managed to break away from his friend and their volleyball game to go check on Maka. She was sitting on her towel under the umbrella, her iPod turned up a bit louder, and she had resumed reading her book. After the swimsuit thing, the girls had joined in on the volleyball game and started swapping around. Soul had currently traded places with Patty, whom had developed a rivalry with Black*Star to see who could spike the ball better. "Hey," He said calmly, flopping down beside her. He perked up when he heard the song she was listening to. "I didn't peg you as a fan of The Cranberries."

"Well, I was told I should open up on what I'd be willing to listen to by some asshole a while back and figured I'd give it a shot," She said with a shrug, flashing him a little grin. He grinned back before nodding his head lightly, humming to the beat of the song. Suddenly, Maka set down her book and looked at him in alarm. "Are you a fan?" She asked in surprise. He merely shrugged before meeting her gaze and singing the next few lyrics so softly that only she could hear him.

_And now I tell you openly  
>You have my heart so don't hurt me.<br>You're what I couldn't find.  
>A totally amazing mind<br>So understanding and so kind  
>You're everything to me.<em> (2)

Maka felt her cheeks grow a little hotter at this. It was suddenly much clearer to her that Soul really did come from a family of natural born musicians; he had an incredible voice! Not only that, but considering the song was typically sung by a girl, it spoke volumes to his ability as a musician to correctly gauge the pitch to match his own (3). Maka could do it okay with songs that were sung by women, but she herself could never properly make the transition with songs sung by male performers. "How was that?" Soul asked with a grin, noticing how flustered she suddenly was.

"You're really good," She squeaked lightly, pulling her book back to her attention as per her usual defense maneuver. He laughed lightly and gave her shoulder a small nudge. She glanced back and rewarded him with a small smile of her own. Accepting that as his trophy, Soul got up and headed back to switch out with Kilik.

Liz glanced back at Maka, noticing the goofy grin, and scowled. Soul knew something Liz didn't, and that would certainly not fly.

…

The next morning, Maka could already tell that things were going to be interesting. Liz had been all over her at breakfast to know who Maka was interested in. "I already know you have Soul helping you out somehow," She said lowly, misunderstanding the reason the other girl tensed up, "and I expect you to be honest with me. We've been friends longer and, while I do know that you're not used to being interested in guys, you don't need to hide it from us."

After that, Maka clammed up for the whole bus ride to Disneyland. Hell, she ignored everyone; including Soul and Tsubaki, neither individual really knowing what was going on. Once they pulled into the lot, William gathered all of the orchestra students (and Black*Star) together for an announcement. "Now, as I am sure you all know, our marching band will be performing with a parade later on this afternoon. Because it is going to take a lot of work to get it all situated, I have agreed to help set it up and I expect all of you to attend and support your musical brethren," He explained calmly. He was answered with a dull roar of casual agreement. "Now, in the meantime, I'm going to divide you all in to teams of three with people whom are not in your section to assure a stronger bond is built. After all, some of these students have been with you for years but you barely know them! Or, some of them are going to be joining your ensemble and it would help to get a feel of who you'll be working with."

This was met with a small chorus of groans. Will rolled his eyes. "It's just until after the band performance. After that you can form whatever groups you'd like, no questions or complaints from me," He said, holding his hands up in surrender. The groans died down and he started listing off names. And then, he read the most diabolical trio he possibly could. "Soul, Maka and Black*Star shall be partnered up."

"What?" Liz protested loudly, stepping up. She had her hands on her hips and a scowl on her lips. "Black*Star isn't even a member of the orchestra!"

"Yes, but he isn't in choir or band either. And, since I have been looking out for him over the years, that makes him my responsibility, Elizabeth," He responded evenly, letting his hand holding his clipboard drop to his side.

"Mr. Evans, if you send the adorable little Maka away with those mongrel **they will gang-bang her**! **They will gang-bang her in a filthy bathroom stall**!"She wailed dramatically, grabbing him by the lapels of his jacket and pulling him to her. She blinked a few times before tilting her head. "Has anyone ever told you that your nose is kinda pointy?"

"Enough!" He snapped while prying her fingers off and stepping back a bit. He scoffed lightly and shook his head at her. "I am sorry if you disagree with the groups I have organized, Elizabeth, but this class is not a democracy. This class is a dictatorship, and I am the one running the show." He sneered at her lowly, causing her to tense up. Never had she infuriated William Evans to the point he made remarks like that.

The other students weren't sure if they should be impressed or horrified.

"Now, you are all free to go," He said calmly, snapping his fingers. Immediately the groups dispersed, and when Liz looked around she realized that Soul, Black*Star and Maka were gone as well.

"Damnit!" She snapped angrily. A hand found itself to her shoulder, and she glanced up to face Kid. Liz had been lucky and been paired with Patty and Kid, as per usual as of late.

"Liz, I know you may not trust them, but I know that they wouldn't try anything," He said gently. She flashed him a skeptical look and he sighed, looking off to the side lightly. "Okay, Black*Star may say something to upset her but Soul will make sure to fix the situation. He and Maka have been getting along better than ever as of late, after all."

"Kid does have a good point there," Patty agreed with a bright smile. The older sibling nodded and sigh, smiling weakly.

"Okay, I guess you two are right," She said gently, shoving her hands into the pockets of her jeans. She started walking into the entrance of the actual amusement park. "Soul and Maka have been getting along really well. I mean, she was comfortable enough with him to… Tell him… Who… She likes…" She trailed off, slowly coming to a stop. Her group mates came to a stop beside her. The gears in her head were starting to turn.

Soul had said something that got Maka all kinds of frazzled at the beach.

Soul had blushed when Maka said he looked cute in that Hawaiian print shirt.

Maka offered to go with Soul to get ice on their first night in, though getting ice was not a two person task. And they had been quite a while, though Liz had just assumed it was because of a line or something.

Maka had been hanging out with Soul in his room the night before they left for the trip.

Maka and Soul had been spending a lot of time hanging out together after school.

Soul made a habit out of picking Maka up from her job on the weekends now. And Maka had accepted the fact with the greatest of ease.

And with that last thought, all the puzzle pieces clicked together. Liz' eyes narrowed to slits and her lips twitched up into a snarl. "**EVANS**!" She shrieked with all the raw fury held within her. Kid stepped back, cowering in the face of such insane rage, while Patty's eyes lit up in admiration. She had never seen Liz reach this degree of pure fury but it was incredible!

Elsewhere, in the line to get on the California Screamin', Maka suddenly shudder and made a small noise. "What's wrong?" Soul asked her gently, looking back at her. Black*Star stood in front of him and Maka stood behind him, to assure the pair wouldn't start up a slap fight.

"I sense a disturbance in the force," She muttered, her hands wrapped tightly around herself. Her eyes were narrowed and shimmered with a mix of fear and concern.

"What do you mean?" He asked lightly, a little unnerved by the way she was phrasing everything.

"Liz… She just realized something that means we're going to be in huge trouble," She whimpered, looking at him fearfully. Soul's eye twitched a little bit before he stepped forward, since the line had started moving again.

"We'll just have to make sure to avoid her. She may have Kid with her but there is no way he'd rat out our location to her," He commented gently.

"Wait, how would Kid know where we are?" She asked.

"Black*Star and I were saying last night how we wanted to get on this ride first, since we knew it would get totally crowded later on," He explained with a shrug. He then smirked lightly at her, his face the picture of relaxation and confidence. "But don't worry; Kid has our back, no matter what Liz thinks she knows."

Maka wasn't so sure about what Soul was saying, but did try to relax. However, when they got off the ride, Maka's intuition proved to be right. Liz was standing at the exit, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed to slits, and a scowl on her lips. Patty had copied her sister's posture, though she was grinning instead of frowning. Kid was a few feet behind them, smiling nervously and waggling his fingers at them.

"Goddamnit, Kid!" Soul snapped lightly.

"It's not my fault, Soul; Liz can be very persuasive when she wants!" The darker haired male called back. Liz glared at him and he quickly clammed up, yellow eyes twinkling in fear.

"What the Hell is going on between you two?" Liz asked harshly, her glare shifting back to them. Underneath her rage, however, Maka could also sense pain and she knew why. After all, Liz was far from an idiot. When she put everything together, she must have thought Maka didn't tell her because she didn't trust her.

"Liz," Maka said with a small sigh, "I should have told you but I was worried how you'd respond. Soul and I… We've kinda been dating in secret."

"But why?" The older girl asked.

"Because our parents are dating and we were worried that things would turn out bad if they found out. I mean, if Mama knew she'd immediately assume Soul and I were sleeping together or something!" She blurted nervously, cheeks turning a little pink. She glanced at Soul sideways, her cheeks darkening, and then looked at her shoes. "We haven't done anything like that but… Well, you know how Mama gets sometimes…"

A long sigh was released and Liz shook her head. "You're crazy, you know that, Maka?" She asked with a quirked eyebrow. Maka made a small noise until Liz ruffled her hair lightly. She was flashing her best friend a weak smile. "But you're my little crazy-head." Maka smiled and nodded eagerly. Liz dropped her hand and glared at Soul, suspicion and mistrust still there. "Well, I can't give my blessing until we girls have had the chance to talk. We'll discuss it more in the morning, when we can get Tsubaki in on the action."

Maka nodded and smiled lightly. "Thank you, Liz," She said meekly. Black*Star suddenly jolted to attention, blinking a few times in alarm.

"Wait, you two are dating?" He asked in alarm, indicating Soul and Maka. Maka smacked her forehead and shook her head while Soul glared at his friend in annoyance.

"You are such a doofus," He remarked flatly. Everyone decided to ignore Black*Star, but he surprisingly let the subject drop.

The rest of the afternoon went by easily enough. The groups watched their marching band perform in the parade and were actually surprised. The band sounded wonderful even though their teacher made it sound like they were nowhere near ready. They wondered briefly if they had been tricked, so that they'd think their band was better. It sounded like their fine arts teachers; they always liked to talk a bad game to make sure an impression was made. After the parade, they got on a few more rides until it was time for the fireworks display. The group gathered back at the entrance all together to watch before getting back on the bus.

The whole show was incredible, to say the least. All the students "oh'd" and "ah'd" before getting on the tour bus that would take them back out to the parking lot. Various students were yawning, cuddling close to friends or loved ones before dragging themselves onto their bus. Though most were too tired to notice, there was an unusual amount of silence between Maka, the Thompson sisters and Tsubaki.

This did not, however, go unnoticed by a certain violet haired pop singer.

…

It was the second trip to Disney before Soul and Maka couldn't stand to feel the heat of Blair's prying eyes and Wesley's knowing smiles any longer. After the somewhat tense air on the bus ride back from the happiest place on Earth the first time, the indigo haired woman had caught on that something interesting had transpired between the seven students in question. She tried to eavesdrop at breakfast when the click got together to discuss the whole thing, but she was distracted when a few students approached to ask questions about life as a pop star. When she turned back to the group, after the other students had left, the group themselves had disappeared to get ready for the trip to Universal Studios. At the time, Maka had just been overjoyed that her friends had accepted the relationship and actually been happy for her.

While the group tried to enjoy the rides, the little gift shops and the shows they could see they did realize that the team of Blair and Wes were following them everywhere they went. Soul and Maka, whom had been hoping to at least get to be a little couple-ish in their manner with their friends, were forced to keep their distance like usual. It had put a damper in their moods but they still had tons of fun getting to goof around with their friends.

On The Sunset Strip they were a touch more annoyed by the two adults' stalking effort. After all, there were tons of little shops to browse! Why did they have to keep following their group? At one point, they all tried to split into two separate groups (Kid with the twins and the other four teamed up) but Blair and Wes made it clear they were only interested in Soul and Maka. It was another day wasted, and Maka was especially bitter about this one. Soul had told her he wanted to get her a necklace or bracelet of some sort while they were out, but they were unable to. After all, if Wes or Blair saw that he was the one paying for it for her, they would figure things out even easier.

And then, the night of the symphony performance, they had both been excited again. After all, in the darkness of the performance hall they could at least hold hands without any of their peers noticing! They would be sitting in the far back, after all, and the lights wouldn't reflect well enough to see anything outside of the range of the stage lights. But then Blair had situated herself in a chair right between the two teens. Before Soul could move to take the open spot to Maka's other side, Wesley snatched it away and started up a conversation with her about the difference of bow quality.

Maka had forced herself to be merry and handle the conversation as best she could while Soul contemplated ways to castrate his older brother (and it wasn't just because Wesley was getting in the way, either). Thus, with all their efforts throttled, Soul and Maka could only see one last effort. That morning, at breakfast, they discussed their little problem with their friends.

And, needless to say, they had plans at the ready.

"It's the last day of the trip," Liz said as the girls stood in their hotel room that morning. Their other roommates had already left to get their things packed away on the bus while Tsubaki had stopped by to help her friends get settled. Liz held her fist up in their air and looked at her sister and dark haired friend with determination. "Thus, we have to make it special for the blooming romance of Soul and Maka! Disneyland may be the happiest place on Earth, but it is also the place known for making dreams come true! A day together at an amusement park… What could be a better first date in the fight for young love than that?"

"Nothing!" Patty cheered, pumping her fist in the air. Tsubaki merely giggled at the two while Maka shook her head. She heaved her reloaded suitcase of the couch bed before setting to putting it back together.

"Look, all I need is for you guys to distract Blair from following Soul and I today," The girl chimed in, tossing one of her pigtails over her shoulder when it got in her way while tucking in a corner of the blanket. Maka had started the day on a sour note.

The night before, one of the younger girl's assigned to their room had explained that she was going to be switching into a room with one of her friends, since they had an opening. It had been fine by the teachers and fine with her roommates, so Maka, as room leader, had assumed it was all good. However, on her way back from breakfast, Will had pulled her off to the side. He started lecturing her in a stern, angry voice about how the girl whom had transferred rooms claimed Maka and the others had been bullying her. When she tried to argue, he cut in with a clipped, "I expected better from you, Maka. I am very disappointed," and then told her he'd be telling her mother. After that riveting conversation, she was sent to finish getting ready for the trip home.

Needless to say, she decided that someone was going to get some sever payback when they got home for not listening to her side. After all, he seemed to forget who it was that did the laundry and cooking and cleaning in the Evans-Albarn household.

After that she had been more than eager to hear what the others planned, but Liz made it sound like they were going to war or something. It was just Blair, and her sidekick of Wes. Hell, Blair could be easily thrown off the trail by receiving a compliment on her shoes or outfit. And Wes? He was a tad more difficult, but a conversation about different musical styling could be an easy tool to be implemented on him. She figured Liz could handle Blair, Kid could handle Wes, and then she and Soul just needed to have one other person with them to assure they wouldn't be accused of breaking the three-person-group-minimum rule.

"Maka, I am a master at this shit," Liz said while whipping out her cell. She started clacking away at the keyboard with the talented perfection of a seasoned pro. "Now, I'm sending the plan to Kid so that he can let Soul and Black*Star know what the deal is. And now, ladies, here's my plan." She said, putting her phone away when she was done. She took a deep breath then grinned, pointing at the choir student among them dramatically. "Tsubaki, you and Black*Star will be staying with Maka and Soul so no one gets in trouble for group size. Besides, you and Black*Star may as well be dating so it'll be more like a double date than having being babysitters."

"But!... Oh, whatever," The cerulean eyed woman sighed, hanging her head. Despite Black*Star's efforts to prove to her he had changed his ways, she seemed more exhausted by the effort than charmed by it. He was always so over-the-top, so unnecessarily loud. And while his enthusiasm was nice, it was played up too much. She just wanted him to be… Well, normal would be a bad term to use but it was the truth. She just wanted him to talk to her like a normal human being. Was that too much to ask?

"Patty, Kid and I will keep Wes and Blair distracted as long as we can. I figure if we can give you guys a good ten minute head start they'll have less luck finding you, right?" She asked, looking at Maka curiously.

"Probably. Soul and I hadn't had the chance to really look around at all the Disney merchandise they have to offer to pick out trinkets to take home so we'll be looking around there," She said simply while finishing with making the bed. She then lifted the metal part that kept the mattress up and started the effort of pressing it back into place. "Blair will probably assume that we decided to do more rides. But the one that really worries me is Wesley." She huffed before finally getting the pull-out back in place with a loud protesting squeal.

"Why does he worry you?" Liz asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Blair's a touch airheaded every now and then but Wesley always has his A-game on. I really don't like them being together; she has the looks to get them anywhere and he has the logic to know where they need to get to," She said with a sigh. She then picked up her tote and the handle of her suitcase.

"Anyway, let's get a move on. The bus will be leaving soon and I want to get everything situated."

"Okay," Liz agreed easily, grabbing her own things as well. The four girls did one last sweep to make sure nothing remained from their stay before they headed out. Maka made sure she had all the room keys and led the girls back to the check out desk. She turned in the room keys and headed out, spotting Soul, Black*Star and Kid hovering by the exit to the parking lot. "Any sign of Thing One or Thing Two?" Liz asked softly, looking around suspiciously.

"They got on the bus already," Soul explained calmly. He then looked at Maka. "You know anything about their plan?"

"You kidding? I was there when Liz came up with it," Maka laughed while they walked out through the electric sliding doors.

"Good, because Kid and Black*Star won't tell me. Kid told Black*Star in private, they got in some kind of argument and now neither one of them will talk," He said with a frown. Maka herself blinked a few times in alarm. What would keep Black*Star from agreeing with the plan? This would give him another chance to try and win Tsubaki back, after all!

She ended up simply texting the plan to him on the bus ride over, since as soon as they were visible from the bus Blair had rushed out to greet them.

Upon arrival to the amusement park entrance, the plan was set right into motion. While Kid and the Thompson sisters distracted their targets, Soul and Maka crept away with Black*Star and Tsubaki close behind. The two tried their best to enjoy themselves but the tension in the air was hard to ignore. Sometimes it felt like it was choking them. "How about we go on the Ferris wheel?" Maka suggested after checking her watch. They had thirty minutes before they were going to have to go back to the bus to head out for dinner and then back to town.

"Sure," Soul said calmly.

"Can we go in separate carts? I kinda want to talk to Tsubaki alone," Black*Star suddenly chimed in, voice surprisingly calm and collected. All eyes were on him in alarm. "What?" He asked, glaring a little bit.

"Sure, no problem. There isn't a line so it shouldn't be a problem," Soul said quickly, leading them over. They let the person in charge know, and Soul and Maka took one of the carts that swayed. Neither of them planned to make it move, but they figured it'd be easier for Black*Star and Tsubaki that way.

After all, this must be an important conversation if he had asked for privacy. Why risk the mood being ruined by unintentional movement?

Soul and Maka sat next to each other so that they were facing the window that would show them the sunset. "Hey," He said with a grin, reaching into his pocket. She tilted her head when he pulled out a little necklace with a strange symbol on it. The actual string was made of a thin black leather and the symbol was in either Japanese or Chinese. "I got this for you."

"What is it?" She asked curiously, turning so that he could tie it around her neck.

"It's a Chinese Zodiac necklace. It's got your sign on it; year of the rat, right?" He asked with a small grin. She lightly touched the cool metal of the charm once the necklace was in place. It was such a simply piece of jewelry but she had always had a sweet spot for simplicity. On top of that, she could wear this every day and it would be able to last! "You like it?" He asked, a small tinge of nervousness creeping into his voice.

"I love it," She giggled, leaning over and gently kissing him. He hummed into the kiss and lazily twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. "Thank you."

"It's cool," He hummed before letting his arm drape over her shoulder and they settled in to watch the rest of the sunset.

Elsewhere, things were as tense as ever between Tsubaki and Black*Star. They were seated across from one another, and while Black*Star was gazing steadfast at her, Tsubaki was looking at anywhere but him directly. "It was nice of you to let Soul and Maka have some privacy," She said meekly, hoping to try and alleviate some of the discomfort in the air.

"I didn't do it for them," He said coolly. She glanced up and saw the seriousness in his expression. Her eyes immediately fixed on her fingers, laced together in her lap. "I tried kissing you to make everything clear but that didn't work. What will it take for you to forgive me?"

"You've been trying to impress me but not once have you just been honest and said sorry," She said with a small sigh. She shook her head and looked up at him, all her frustrations with him suddenly pressing up to the surface. "All you ever do is think of what you can do to entertain yourself, like a spoiled child. You told everyone who Maka's dad was because you thought it would be funny! And I don't care if you want to claim it was because you were trying to get back at her for what she's said and done to Soul over the years, it's all a crock! And-And you just-! You're so arrogant and selfish! It's all about how great you are, how strong you are, how talented you are! Never once have you ever complimented another person! You can't expect people to always deal with you if you aren't going to be likeable, you know?" She said frantically, a few of her words coming to the edge of being yells. When she finished she looked at her hands again, not wanting to see his anger.

It was as their cart stopped at the top for a few seconds that he started talking.

"My eyes have never been anywhere but fixed on you," He said softly. He sounded so certain, so confident in those words, that she looked up at him in alarm. A neutral mask played on his feature and it had crept into his eyes as well. She felt unnerved by the emotionless stare. "I never tell the truth because that would be showing weakness, and I don't want to be seen as that. My father was one of the greatest martial artists in the world; not living up to those expectations isn't acceptable. I boast about myself because I hope that maybe if I say it enough it will be true. I know I'm not the smartest, the strongest, or the best at everything but… I want to be. I want to reassure myself that I can be. I always wanted to be worth yout time in your eyes, always trying to strive to heights that would make me even with you. I've always known you were too good for me, so I figured I'd be better off just keeping myself trapped in the friend zone. I would only serve to disappoint you if we tried a relationship and I still wanted to be near you. That was enough for me. I meant what I said, and I meant it when I kissed you. That wasn't just to impress you; it was to prove my feelings to you."

"Black*Star," She said softly, her eyes starting to sting with the sensation of approaching tears. Why was he saying all of this? Why was he telling her this now?

"But I know you don't want to have anything to do with me anymore. So I'll just leave you alone from now on, okay?" He said, flashing this tragic little grin. And suddenly she was crying, and she was hurting, because she realized he wouldn't let himself feel pain. He wouldn't let his own heart break, no matter how much he was aching over this.

It simply wasn't in his nature to be like that. He was sacrificing his own happiness, and eagerly accepting loneliness, to make her happy.

And after they got off the Ferris wheel and got back on the bus, he kept his word. Just like he always had.

End

(1) Liz is referencing the song _My Humps_ by the Black Eyed Peas. If you have not heard this song, you clearly live a very sheltered life since it was a big hit for the longest time.

(2) _Dreams_ – The Cranberries. Look this song up and you'll realize you know it, just you may not know this lyric. I got a ton of The Cranberries music from my older sister a while back and it's all so wonderful it's on the playlist I listen to while typing. This song and, more specifically, that lyric seem to really fit Soul and Maka in this story.

(3) Pitch of a musician – In order to have the ability to play a musical instrument well, an individual must have some ability to notice differences in pitch. For example, I may not be able to hit notes as high as some musicians, but by listening to their performance I can adjust my pitch to a point that works for me and could still sound correct on its own. I gave Soul a kick ass voice because… Okay, let's face the fact; guys that can sing are freakin' hawt. :D

Notes:

That necklace Soul got Maka? I actually have one like it. The only difference is that mine is the Chinese symbol of the monkey, since that's what year I was born in. :3

Ugh. Black*Star, why you go and make this end sad? You not supposed to do that. :T

Confession time: some of the events in this chapter are from my actual life. My freshmen year I went to Disneyland (though our trip was for only three days, so we didn't get to do nearly as much as the crew will in this story) and some very… interesting things happened. If you want a full explanation on what was true, what the circumstances were and all that jazz just send me a note.

Also, just wanted to address the question asked by "Dead violin girl" (I hope that you still read this story and see this note, since I really should have explained this a long time ago): I do not hate violins or think they are evil. The whole bitterness towards the violins was a running gag within my close friends (all lower strings in high school, like myself) simply because most songs are composed so that violins get the melody and we lower strings get the less spectacular harmony. Our teachers for the first three years of high school (because my graduating class alone went through three teachers; one our freshman year, a new one for sophomore and junior year, and then a new one for our senior year) had a strong preference for songs that favored the violin. And, to be honest, we never really blamed them; it is hard to find songs with lower strings featured for the melody throughout most of the piece. So, yeah… I meant to make it short but I really thought I should address it since it was asked. I don't want to create any anti-violin hysteria or anything; it just stems from a joke more toward all those snobby dead guys who wrote the music. :)

Next Chapter:

Crazy shit goes down involving characters other than Soul and Maka… Although the aforementioned duo is present for the whole incident. Tsubaki seeks out an interesting source for help in handling her sticky situation with Black*Star. An unholy force arrives on the scene to ruin the sense of contentment in the lives of our characters.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Twelve: This Stupid T.A.

"So we're still good to go to the movies tonight, right?" Maka asked at lunch, nibbling on her sandwich. Liz grinned and nodded eagerly.

"Yeah. But what movie do we want to go see, exactly?" She asked, taking a sip of her milk. She nodded her head over toward Kid. "He, Patty and I already saw that new parody movie so that's out."

"What about that new killer-thriller movie? I've heard it's really good; from both the critics and a couple of kids in my other classes," Maka suggested. The other kids nodded before eyes shifted to Tsubaki, whom had said nothing in agreement or disagreement. "You're still really upset about Black*Star, aren't you?" She asked worriedly.

The inky haired woman let out a low, whining noise around a mouthful of her school lunch. Liz let out a low growl and glared at her. "Okay, you're seriously still upset? You've been depressed about it since the end of that trip and that was back over summer vacation! Either get over it or go spill your guts about how badly you want to bear a million of his blue-haired mutant monkey babies!"

"Liz!" Maka hissed lightly before reaching over and setting a hand on the other girl's shoulder. Soul had tried to talk to Black*Star, but he said there was nothing to discuss. Kid had tried as well but that just ended up in them nearly beating the ever-loving crap out of one another. Tsubaki herself was too nervous and hurt over the whole thing to go try talking to him herself, though the other girls had tried to give her pep talks to better prepare her. "Look, if none of our advice is doing you any good why not talk to one of the guidance counselors? Or maybe one the teachers you get along with really well?" She suggested lightly.

"You could always talk to Ms. Mjolnir; I hear she's dating that weirdo Professor Stein," Liz recommended before chugging what was left of her drink. It wasn't that she couldn't sympathize with Tsubaki, because she really could. She had had her own heart ripped out of her chest and stomped on several times over the years. But she didn't hold on to it and she moved on to bigger, better things. Like Death the Kid, whom she had been officially dating for about two weeks now. "Plus she's the cheerleading coach so you know her really well. She won't tell anyone and she's probably got the best insight."

"That's a great idea!" Maka beamed happily, turning to Tsubaki. Azure spheres shifted between the faces of her three friends and the two gentlemen whom had joined their group. "Do you want to do that?"

"Yeah, that's probably best," She said, picking up her now empty tray. She picked up her bag with the other hand and nodded her head at them. "I'll see you guys after school, okay?"

"Okay," Maka agreed merrily. She nodded her head toward Soul lightly. "We got permission to take the Mustang tonight so we'll pick you up around seven. We'll be getting sushi after the movie, so make sure to keep up your appetite."

"Sure thing," She said with a small smile before watching her head off. The others watched her go before they let out a collective sigh.

"I love that girl to death but she needs to figure out what she wants," Liz sighed lightly, massaging her temples.

"Well, it is Black*Star we're talking about. Being in love with him certainly can't be an easy feat," Kid remarked calmly before munching on a chip from a snack size one he had purchased from a vending machine on his way over. Liz reached over and snatched a chip as well, though he didn't comment or seem to particularly mind.

"Not gonna argue with that fact," Maka said with a small sigh. She let her head fall back against the tree she was settled against. "I just wish Tsubaki would take our advice. It's probably the same thing she's going to hear from Ms. Mjolnir."

"That's a good point," The other blonde agreed before pilfering another chip from the plastic bag in her boyfriend's hand. He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she scoffed at him. "What? You know that cheesy chips are my favorite. You should expect me to swipe at least a few, if not the whole bag." She said with a casual shrug.

Elsewhere, Tsubaki gulped as she entered the hallway that led to the teacher's lounge. Students were allowed to poke their heads in to talk to a teacher, since they rarely stayed in their actual classrooms. Tsubaki herself had never felt the need to enter the teacher's lounge and normally let the other cheerleaders come in here when they needed to coordinate with their staff supporter. "Ah, are you one of Marie's students?" A voice asked, causing her to jump and whip around.

Though she had never seen Professor Stein before herself, the young woman had heard enough of him to recognize him. He was wearing the lab coat she heard he always wore, his grey hair not styled but not particularly messy either. He had a briefcase in one hand and a small ice chest hanging over the opposite shoulder. "H-Hello, sir!" She squeaked, bowing quickly. He chuckled lightly.

"You must by Tsubaki Nakatsukasa," He said lightly. She looked up at him in alarm but he merely chuckled again. "Marie's told me about you. Wonderful gymnast on the cheer team, hard worker in classes but very timid and with low confidence."

"Oh," She said with a tense little smile. Did everyone think she was so weak willed that even her teachers picked up on it? _'How embarrassing.'_ She lamented to herself but forced herself to return to focus. She needed to get advice about how to fix her current issues! "Yes, well, I hope I am not interrupting any plans between you two but I had hoped to speak with her."

"It's fine by me," He said with a shrug, "since we're just going to eat before grading some papers and such. Come right in." He walked ahead of her, opening the door and allowing her to slip past.

Given the conditions of the rest of the academy, Tsubaki had somehow expected that the teacher's lounge would be more glamorous than it actually was. It consisted of three large, round tables with six chairs at each in the center of the room. Against the left wall was a white refrigerator and counters, which played home to a microwave and a few cubbies with the last names of all the staff members on them. Against the right wall were four vending machines; two for snacks and two for drinks. Ms. Mjolnir was seated at the table closest to the opposite wall, a pair of glasses pressed up on her nose and a red pen in her hands.

"Marie, you have a student here to see you," Stein stated as he walked over and took a seat beside her. She jolted up, nearly knocking over a can of Diet Coke placed a few inches from her arm, before looking up. Her honey colored orbs lit up immediately.

"Ah, Tsubaki! Did you change your mind about helping judge for the cheerleading try-outs next week?" She asked excitedly, quickly capping her pen. Tsubaki took the seat across from the other woman, so that there was a chair between she and Stein.

"No, I'm afraid not," She said gently. Marie let out a small sigh, unable to conceal her disappointment. She had been so hoping that Tsubaki would change her mind and agree to help! The dark haired young woman was their only girl with any sort of experience with really gymnastics and it'd help. After all, the girls couldn't all be flyers; they needed some strong tumblers too! "I actually was hoping to get your advice with something a little more personal than all that."

She perked back up at this, head cocking to the side curiously. It reminded Tsubaki of a puppy. "Something personal?"

"W-Well, you see," She stammered nervously. She looked between the two adults and was sort of grateful that Stein seemed more occupied in his sandwich and the papers he was skimming over. And so, feeling much more confident and relaxed, she quickly blurted out the whole story from the very beginning. And by very beginning, she started with the day she met Black*Star and quickly talked her way up to the present situation. She didn't notice, but halfway through Stein had actually set the papers down and stopped chewing. "And so, you see, I was hoping you could tell me what to do." She sighed finally.

Both adults were staring at her with slack jaws before Stein made a small grunt and shook his head. "No wonder Black*Star's been doing even worse in class than usual; he's depressed. Hmm, to think he's capable of a human emotion other than pride is an interesting revelation," The man among them remarked with a small smile. Cerulean orbs widened to the size of dinner plates before welling up with tears.

"Oh, don't listen to him! He doesn't know what he's talking about!" Marie yelped quickly, shoving Stein lightly. He looked at her, clearly confused, but didn't try to argue with her at all. She then cleared her throat and took Tsubaki's hands. "From the sounds of it, you really do love him. And he told you he loves you too."

"But, I mean, is it really okay for me to make up with him? All these years I've let him get his way and never stood up for myself. Wouldn't this just be reinforcing that bad behavior is acceptable and will be rewarded in the end?" Tsubaki sniffled lightly.

"Where ever did you get that idea from, a dog training book?" Marie teased lightly. When Tsubaki looked down sheepishly and she didn't answer, the other fell silent for a while. "You… You do realize that dog training tricks don't apply to people like Black*Star, just because they have the energy of a disobedient animal, right?"

"It was my last hope at figuring out what to do with him," She confessed meekly. Stein covered his mouth with one hand to hide his laughter. A swift kick in the shin from Marie under the table worked much better at putting an end to his chortles.

"Okay, that's perfectly good! We can run with it like that, too!" Marie beamed happily. She then cleared her throat again. "Tsubaki, he did own up to the fact that he was wrong, in his own way. And the big thing with training a puppy is to reinforce good behavior with a treat, right? Well, you need to prove to Black*Star that it is okay for him to say he's sorry to you and that you'll only love him more for that! Men like Black*Star… Well…" She giggled, sending a discreet look toward Stein. "Let's just say that men like Black*Star are typically a little emotionally retarded, and as such need a helping hand understanding which signs mean what. Does that make sense?"

"Yes, it actually does," Tsubaki said with a smile. She stood up and bowed politely. "Thank you so much Ms. Mjolnir!" With that, she turned and headed off, feeling renewed and alive. She knew what to do now! It was exactly like her friends had been telling her, it turned out; she just needed to talk to Black*Star herself!

"Emotionally retarded, hm?" Stein asked with a small smirk once the door clicked shut behind the young woman. Marie's cheeks turned pink and she looked away sheepishly. She rubbed the back of her head and giggled nervously. "You're just a little off in your statement, Marie dear. Allow me to give you proof of your incorrect statement." He mused while leaning in closer toward her.

Her cheeks turned even brighter red when one of his hands started to creep up her thigh. "Stein… No, wait! S-Stein, not here! Someone could… Could… Oh," She trailed as she surrendered, his lips pressing against hers to silence any other attempts of an argument she had.

…

Kami perked up when she saw Maka head down the stairs. The younger girl was wearing something simply and charming, in her mother's opinion, anyway. Her hair had been combed and curled a little so that it had a touch of wave to it. She wore an all black V-neck top partnered with a black and red pleated skirt. The skirt had a chain at her left hip that dragged a little down and brushed her knees. Black leggings partnered with black ankle high boots with hot pink laces completed the outfit. "You look adorable, Maka!" She said happily.

"Thank you, Mama," She beamed while plucking her red and black checkered purse from the table by the front door. She checked to make sure everything was in order before looking at her reflection in the mirror and adjusting her necklace.

"Where did you get that, by the way? I can't remember seeing you without it once all this summer," She commented lightly.

"I got it from Disneyland, in one of the stores at California Adventures," The younger girl said with a little giggle. Jade orbs widened before narrowing deviously.

"Oh, _really_ now? Did a _boy_ buy it for you?" Kami sang slyly, grin growing wider at the bright crimson tint that came to her child's face at this. "Oh, I was right~! What's his name? What's he like? Are you going out with him tonight, and that's why you got all dolled up?" She gushed eagerly.

"No, Mama! I bought this for myself and I'm just hanging out with Soul, Liz, Patty, Tsubaki and Kid!" She squeaked quickly just as the aforementioned male made his way downstairs as well. He was wearing a grey wife beater with a solid cobalt over shirt on top, unbuttoned to show off the muscles accented by the shirt he was wearing. It was partnered with a pair of dark blue denim jeans and his favorite black steel-toe boots. "You clean up pretty good, for a moron." Maka remarked with a smirk.

"And to think you can rock something that doesn't have a pocket protector… Don't know if I should be glad you can look cool or be worried that nerds are starting to learn to shape shift," He quipped back with a smirk. Maka glared at him and he looked at Kami. "We'll probably be out late, like usual. And don't worry about feeding us, either; we're going to eat after the show."

"As long as you two are home before eleven I'm fine," She said simply.

"Will do," Maka said.

"No promises," Soul corrected her before swiping the car keys from the hook by the door they were kept on and headed out. Maka waved to her mother one last time before following him quickly. Once they were safely in the solitude of the car he smirked at her. "You look great, by the way."

"You're not too bad yourself, hot stuff," She giggled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She then buckled up and pulled her cell from her purse. "I'll text Tsubaki and let her know that we're on the way."

"Cool," He said while starting the car and backing out carefully.

It was a short drive to Tsubaki's house, and she seemed more upbeat than she had in weeks. She explained that Ms. Mjolnir had given her some wonderful advice and she was going to try talking to Black*Star in a week or so, after figuring out exactly what she wanted to say to him. Her friends all smiled and congratulated her on finally reaching a decision, but none of them asked why she didn't just handle things on Monday when they went to school. They enjoyed the movie well enough, though Kid and Liz got teased afterwards since Patty caught them making out at one point. "You guys can drop it now, you know!" Liz seethed as they marched out of the cinema and back into the actual mall.

"Never thought you were that kind of man, Kid," Soul sneered lightly, watching the other male's cheeks turn a slight pink. Never before had Soul had something he could hold over his friends head like that; thus, he was going to have to live it up while he had the ability to. "I have to say, though, I have to give you props for that. Not many guys can get a girl to let them slip in a little tongue after only two weeks!"

"Evans, my car is in the parking lot! I **will** bust out my wiffle ball bat and **bust** **your balls** if you don't can it!" Liz snarled loudly, shaking a fist in Soul's face.

"Now, Liz, violence never solved anything," Kid said soothingly, snaking an arm around her waist and trying to guide her away. She continued growling lowly at Soul but let her head fall onto Kid's shoulder, eyes closing a bit, much like a sated animal. The two started to whisper too softly to one another for the others to hear, incredibly enough, and it seemed to work in soothing her. "Feel better now?" He asked merrily when she lifted her head back up. She nodded and laced their fingers together, not caring that their friends were looking. "Excellent. Now, shall we all go get some food?"

"Kid?" A feminine voice chirped lightly and he tensed up. They all turned to see a woman standing a few feet away, wearing a sleeveless turtle neck top in a pale salmon and a pair of blue jeans. Her hair was a bright white that matched Soul's and was tied off in a high ponytail. The other thing to be noticed about her was her large, shining yellow eyes.

Liz recognized her immediately as Kid's M.I.A. mother.

"Mother?" He asked dubiously, as if this wasn't real. Liz couldn't blame him for thinking as such. He had revealed to her that shortly after his mother left he started having trouble sleeping and would wander around the house crying. It was because his lack of sleep started causing him to have hallucinations of his mother walking the house but never once acknowledging his presence. That was when he'd been put on his sleeping medication. It was the first in a long line of pills she learned he'd been forced to shovel down to aid in the success of his therapy over the years.

"It really is you, Kid!" She gasped excitedly, walking closer and hugging him tightly. She seemed oblivious to the agony in her son's face, as well as the clear tension in his figure. "Oh, I wondered if you still lived here!" She said while pulling back. Her hands rested on his shoulder and she smiled, looking him up and down. "You've gotten quite tall, though I always expected as much. Jerry and I moved out here because Tyler – Oh, Tyler is our oldest boy, you see, - was accepted at Shibusen Academy's grade school branch. He plays a mean French horn! Oh, and are these your friends?" She asked, turning her attention to the rest of the children.

Awkward introductions were issued, though she seemed oblivious to the emotions running rampant in the air. They all learned that her name was Eve and that, other than Kid, she had a son and a daughter she loved to pieces. Kid was silent the whole time and finally she glanced at him, a frown marring her features. "Kid, what's wrong?"

"He must be hungry," Liz jumped in quickly, giving his hand a light squeeze. He seemed to snap from whatever trance he had placed himself in to look at Liz and then all around him again. "You ate a lot less than you should have at lunch, you know. I know you wanted to make sure you would have an appetite for sushi but you shouldn't go around starving yourself." She scolded with a little smile. Anyone who knew Liz knew that the smile was a fraud meant to trick a stranger among them.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't even think that you all may have plans for dinner!" Eve said quickly, covering her mouth with her hand. She then rummaged through her purse and pulled out a little pad of sticky notes and a pen, scribbling something down. She held it out to Kid with a smile. "This is our new phone number, my cell and our address. Feel free to stop by whenever you'd like, okay?"

"Right," Kid pressed out softly, looking anywhere but at her face. He didn't even look to take the paper; she had to place it in his hand. She waved at the group before walking off, heading to meet up with three figures a few feet away they assumed to be the rest of her new family.

"Kid," Liz said gently, looking at him. He shoved the piece of paper into his pocket and quickly started to walk toward the doors.

"Let's go eat," He said with his eyes still averted to the floor. The blonde woman whose fingers were laced with his was dragged along but he didn't seem to notice her presence. She glanced back at the others and made a face that they just do as he suggested and try to resume their festive evening.

No one commented, but they were a little disappointed that things had to go bad again so quickly after yanking Tsubaki from her depression.

…

Monday had been a good day, up until sixth hour. Will clapped his hands after the bell rang, silencing the students. Liz had been telling Maka she was worried about Kid, because he wasn't talking much and hadn't been eating. She was even worried that he was losing sleep over his mother's reappearance, though he would never answer any of her questions. Both girls cast a worried look toward their concert master but he was just staring at the sheet music on his stand vacantly.

"Okay, everyone, your attention please!" Will said sternly, his tone much harsher than usual. He looked pretty irritated, though the students hadn't done much anything else different. Maka cast a questioning look to Soul but he merely shrugged to express he was just as confused. "Now, we're going to be having a teaching assistant joining in with this class this year. You know those college students that sometimes work with your teachers? Well, we're going to have one of our own."

There was a small clamor of noise among the students, twittering with gossip. Will whistled loudly and they returned to silence again. "Now, I did not want to accept this man as a teaching aid but Shinigami-Sama has left me no other options. I am sorry to any of you who are upset by this whole ordeal, as well as request those of you who may know this man to please keep your questions until the end of the class. We'll break from rehearsal a little early so that you may all talk with him." There were whispers but a harsh glare from their instructor hushed them yet again. "You may come out now." Will called flatly, glaring toward his office, the door cracked open a smidgen.

"You don't need to be so rude about the whole thing, you know," The man chuckled as he walked out. A few students squealed eagerly while Maka, Liz, Patty and Soul all froze. "We've known each other since we were just children, after all, William."

"I'd be better off forgetting that, Spirit," He barked at the red head blandly. He then gestured to the man approaching the podium, smiling warmly at the faces of the school children, eager to see the face of the assistant instructor. "Allow me to introduce Spirit Henderson. As I am sure you all know, he is the leader of the band Sickle Syndrome and is now trying his hand at teaching. Please treat him with the same respect that you would show any guest conductor."

And just like that, with powder blue eyes locking with vivid green, war was waged.

End

Notes:

Oh, yeah, Spirit finally shows up! Too bad he only showed up in time for the final act! :D

Thought I should explain how Shibusen Academy works, since Maka mentioned having Marie as a teacher in the first chapter. Shibusen, because it is a very high-class private school, hires a small faculty because there aren't a particularly large amount of student. There are a total of six teachers peer grade, not including the fine arts teachers. To avoid getting bored, the teachers will swap grades every few years and then move a grade up, so that they are always teaching the same batch of students. Therefore, Stein and Marie were shifted to teaching the freshmen when Maka and crew (excluding Patty, since she is a year younger) started, thus assuring they would be the ones teaching that freshmen class all the way up until graduation.

Stein and Marie would totally be havin' smexy times in the teacher's lounge and you all know it. Don't be afraid either, lovelies. Embrace it. :3

Also, did you think I was simply going to mention Kid's home situation and then never have anything come from it? Hey, I'm not that lazy (yet)! :D

Next Chapter:

It is a very thick line between being mature adults handling their divorce well and being selfish idiots who only think about themselves; take a guess what side Spirit and Kami land themselves on. I tie up all the loose ends in regards to everyone's situations. Time for my last, dramatic hoorah for the plot of this story~!


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

Chapter Thirteen: This Stupid Papa

Two weeks into Spirit's arrival and already things were worse for wear. Soul was stunned to find that his father and Kami were actually bickering like most couples their age, having apparently crash landed out of the honeymoon phase. It was usually the same old argument; William accusing Kami of asking Spirit to come to Death City because she wasn't over him and Kami telling him he was crazy and needed to grow up. It seemed to be taking its toll on Maka as well, because her eyes always darkened when the fighting started up. Normally they would be in Soul's room, reading and playing video games, and over the background noise the fights could be heard crystal clear. "Hey," He would say, leaning back a little bit.

"What?" She would ask, setting her book down a little. He would then kiss her on the cheek, or the lips, or the chin depending on what angle he was positioned in.

"It's going t be okay," He would reassure her, smiling. And she would smile back, but he would never tell her the honest to goodness truth.

Because he was actually extremely glad their parents were fighting.

He knew it was selfish, but if their parents weren't dating their relationship wouldn't be seen as so… Taboo, would be the best word. They weren't really siblings, but they were living under the same roof and with very little space between them. He had a feeling that if their parents did break up, and they did out themselves as a couple, that people would speculate that they got together before but that would be easy to argue against. Kid and the others would lie to save their skins. And he knew more interesting rumors would quickly wash away the ones that would mill about in regards to them.

Soul, however, never voiced this opinion because he knew it would upset Maka. Though the blonde would never admit it, she always looked very scared when the shouting matches were going on. He assumed it was probably a scar from her childhood, which had led to her becoming the loud-mouthed young woman she had been for the longest time. She blew smoke because she didn't want to admit she was afraid. It was easy to tell, however, that Maka was terribly afraid of the relationship between their parents dying out.

She had seen what became of her mother when she and Spirit split up, and Soul could only imagine what that had done to Maka herself. Having your parents split up as a child is one thing, but Maka took her self-blaming to an entirely new level. Hell, he could tell she still occasionally struggled with the unnecessary guilt! At the open house the night prior to the moment he pondered everything, Kami and Spirit had shared a tense and painfully awkward bout of conversations while walking to talk with Maka's teachers and it was plain to see things were all kinds of uncomfortable.

He reflected on it all as he sat at his piano in orchestra class while Spirit was discussing the style of the piece they were rehearsing. He wasn't surprised that Maka wasn't really paying attention, either. She was holding her viola in guitar position while her fingers danced along the neck of the wooden instrument. She was running through the notes, noticing the trill patterns and such. She looked so cute with this determined expression on her face, her tongue occasionally brushing along her lip when she would mouth the notes to herself. He chuckled a bit and shook his head. "Is something funny to you, Evans?" Spirit asked with a scowl.

It was clear that the older male didn't care much for the son of his ex-wife's boyfriend. And to be honest, Soul wasn't too fond of his girlfriend's father either.

"Just nice to hear a big shot like you pretend to know what they're saying," He said simply. Spirit glared at him.

"I am a Juilliard trained musician, have been playing my trumpet since I was a mere child, and have sold millions of albums. I think I know more about my trade then you'd like to pretend," He said with a haughty smirk. Soul merely responded by smirking and playing a quick scale on his piano.

"Yeah, but nothing gets the panties dropping like a skilled pianist," He sneered back. A few students laughed, others cheered and a few ignored them. There were a few students whom did care about what Spirit was talking about, after all.

"Really now? Well, let me know when you meet one. We could use a real pianist in this class," Spirit rebuked in that same smug tone. Both Soul and Will, whom was sitting at the back of the class taking notes and grading tests, glared at him.

Maka made a small noise and all shifted to her. "Why don't you try acting your age, Mr. Henderson? Being cocky and arrogant is expected of high school kids like Soul, but what's your excuse? You've got more than enough years on you to know better," She said without glancing up from her work. Her fingers moved automatically, taping a string twice when a note was played right in a row. Her eyes were still shimmering with her focus to her trade and no one could look away. Normally when she was slinging insults she would at least give the other person her full attention.

"Maka… How can you be so mean to Papa?" Spirit sniffled, eyes starting to water with unshed tears. He was answered by Maka flinging her empty viola case at him, her other hand pressing the wooden instrument to her chest. The class burst into a roar of laughter as he flailed to the ground indignantly. Even Will chuckled, though he tried to cover it up with his hand over her grinning face.

"I thought that was something special you reserved for me?" Soul asked with a teasing grin. She shrugged at him.

"He pissed me off," She answered easily enough. Spirit crawled back into his seat and suddenly everyone simmered back down.

"Do you want me to take over for the remaining half of class, Mr. Henderson? After all, today is a half day so our rehearsal time is shortened quite a bit," William offered politely from his spot in the back. Crimson and sapphire locked in a battle before the other male let out a low growl.

"Oh, you would just love that, wouldn't you?" Spirit asked calmly. He straightened out his jacket, settled back into his chair, but never took his eyes off the man playing as his tutor. "First you steal my wife and now you want to take away my time with the class? Quite the polite move if I do say."

"Excuse me?" The other seethed flatly. The class all fell silent, unsure what to do. The air was becoming significantly tenser as they all realized that this was probably information they shouldn't be hearing. "I'm not the one who went around whoring themselves out to any groupie whom would bat her pretty little eyes at me, knowing damn well I had a wife and daughter waiting for me. If you can't take the time, don't do the crime, Henderson."

"Oh, Kami's no angel in all this either! I'm not the only one who helped to tear this marriage apart at the seams!" The other snapped back angrily. Soul looked between the bickering adults for a second before looking at Maka. He could see fear and horror etched on her face before she forced her attention back to her practicing. He silently cursed and prepared to step in.

"Oh, yes, keep talking like you ever cared!" Will scoffed while rising in his rage. He tossed his papers off to the side and glared harder at the other. "You think I don't know the things you've said? You didn't claim to have a family because you felt it would dampen your career as well as your affairs! Hell, you even told Kami that you felt your family was nothing but a hindrance to your success when she filed for divorce!"

"Would you both **shut the fuck** **up**?" Soul bellowed at the same time as a loud wooden clashing noise. All students looked back over, the clatter of wood hitting a foreign object calling them to attention. Maka was sitting, eyes still trained on the page, but silent tears were starting to fall and she had dropped her instrument. They could tell that the force had caused the bridge (1) to fall loose (an easy fix, though it would lead to a tuning session). Her hands were twitching as if the instrument were still in her grasp, tapping the thin air of where the strings would be. The bell chimed suddenly but still she didn't move.

No one moved for fear of startling her. Neither one of the Thompson sisters was there that day because they'd caught the flu (or, rather, the two girls simply didn't want to come to class that day and lied to the attendance office) and no one wanted to become a target for the two girls rage. Soul glared at both adults before rising from his seat and calmly walking over to her. "Maka," He said gently, leaning down and picking up her viola.

She seemed to snap back into attention at the sound of his voice. She glanced at him, then down at the instrument he held. One hand carried the bridge that had been knocked loose while the other held her precious viola by the neck. "The bridge slipped again," She said softly, slowly taking it in her hands. He picked up her case, set it in her lap and opened it for her. While she placed the bridge and the instrument back in place, putting the red silk cover over it, he plucked her bow off of the music stand and began loosening it. He handed it back to her for her to finish putting away before starting to shove her music into the big, black leather folders they were issued depending on where they were in their sections. "I can never tune it right after having to put the bridge back in place." Maka mumbled while closing the little metal clasps on the case to keep it snapped shut.

"We'll have Wes take a look at it," Soul said while picking up her bag. She stood, put it on, and then took her case by the handle in one hand. "Violins and violas aren't so different and I'm sure he'll be able to get back in working order for you."

And as Soul went to get his own bag, the orchestra rushed back to life as the other students realized that they would be late for their respective rides if they weren't careful. Spirit quickly barked out certain pieces of music to be looked over during the weekend because of a playing test that would be done on Monday. Soul led Maka out of the classroom, ignoring his father's calls for the two of them to hold on, and took her to the car. They had all been planning on going over to Liz and Patty's to "see how the two were feeling" so he had convinced his father to let them take the car; the fact that Maka needed to bring her instrument home had been an unexpected plus to his argument. After all, how was he going to get her instrument home in one piece on his little Gwen?

Soul tossed their things into the back seat while Maka, still clearly upset about the whole thing, sat with a blank face in the passenger side seat. He waited until he was in with her to reach over, cup her face in his hands and force her to look at him. "You need to talk to your mom about the effect this is having on you, Maka," He said gently. He wasn't worried about anyone seeing them because Soul always parked a ways away from other students, typically in the shady spots under the Ramada. Not many kids drove themselves to school simply because they didn't want to waste their gas.

It was a fact Soul was very grateful for at that moment.

"I can't make him leave," She croaked out lightly, sniffling as fresh tears started to brim in her eyes. His thumbs reached up and lightly wiped the ones that slipped down from her cheeks. "If what I said or felt mattered to him at all he wouldn't be here in the first place."

"Maybe your mom can convince him to leave; she did get him to agree to the divorce papers," He said gently. He then leaned closer and brushed his lips against her forehead. "I really hate seeing you hurt like this." She smiled and leaned in closer, letting her lips brush against his. It was a light, brief kiss but both parties were satisfied with that.

"I love you," She said gently closing her eyes and letting her head relax into the palms of his hands. He smiled and kissed her a little more roughly, though not by much.

"Love you too," He hummed when he pulled away. And with her feeling a little better, they headed over to the Thompson's house to wait for Tsubaki and Kid to catch up with them.

Neither one of them had noticed the eyes watching the whole scene in horror.

…

When Kid didn't show up at the agreed time, Liz had decided she was going to have to go check on him. Ever since that run-in with his mother he'd been acting stranger than usual. All that hard work they'd put in to settling his symmetry issue seemed to have been flushed right down the drain. He was organizing everything he could, then he would rearrange it in any different way he could think of. He wasn't eating as well as he should have, he didn't look like he was sleeping or bathing, and she was pretty sure he had stopped taking his medications.

She wasn't too surprised when Shinigami-Sama was delighted to see her on his doorstep.

"I don't even know what to do," He confessed as he shut the door behind her. The house, which looked immaculate on all her other visits, almost seemed to be glowing with how positively clean and tidy everything was. The walls looked like wet paint still drying they were so thoroughly scrubbed, and the charming lone stain that usually sat in the center of the carpet in the den was absent. "I've tried everything that his therapist has suggested but none of it has helped a bit. He just won't listen to me and I don't know why."

"He didn't tell you anything?" She asked, turning back to face him. He shook his head and she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "Of course he didn't; he doesn't trust you and this is sort of a big thing for him."

"What's happening to my son, Thompson?" He asked strictly, causing her to jump a bit. His eyes were narrowed but they weren't gleaming with anger or annoyance like usual; there was sincere concern in his eyes. "After he started talking to you he started getting better, so I figured he just acted the way he did for attention. But you've been coming by much more often since you two… Hooked up, and then he suddenly takes a huge step back. What the Hell is wrong with him?"

She sighed and ran a hand through her hair, her other hand falling to her hip. "Kid acts this way because he has abandonment issues," She said gently. When he just stared at her like an idiot she rolled her eyes again. "After you and his mother divorced, she didn't stay in touch. Instead, she ran off with some other shmuck and had a new family, completely forgetting about him. He tries to keep things in order and even because that's all he wants; a nice, whole family."

"I don't see why that caused him to relapse on all the progress he has made," He said, getting frustrated with his lack of seeing the main point. There had to be more that she simply wasn't telling him. She glared at him.

"If you would let me finish," She hissed lightly. She shook her head at him. "Geez, rude much? Anyway, when we went to the movies about two weeks back we bumped into good old Eve."

"Eve is back in town?" He asked incredulously.

Liz nodded. "Yup. Apparently one of her new kids had been accepted into the elementary branch of Shibusen Academy," She shrugged. He made a small noise of displeasure. "Yeah, I know. But anyway, she walked up and just started gushing about how happy she was to see him and how they should get together and yadda, yadda, bull shit. Ever since, Kid's head had been screwed on even tighter than it was before. I figure it's probably shock, but I'm not a professional so I can't say for sure."

"Will you try to talk to him?" He asked gently.

She raised an eyebrow at him. "No, I just came by to tell you what I thought," She quipped sarcastically. He blushed a bit, scowling at her, but didn't say anything. "You're supposed to be some kind of brainiac in yet you're a pretty big dumbass. Anyway, he's in his office or his bedroom?"

"Last time I checked he'd just moved on from his bedroom to the office," He said calmly. She nodded before heading up the stairs to track her boyfriend down.

It was parents like Kid's that pissed Liz off more than a lot of her pet peeves, when she thought about it. Her own mother was serving serious prison time after she shanked one of her John's to get his wallet. She and Patty had then been placed in the custody of Yumi Azusa, an old childhood friend of their mother's. Their mother didn't try to contact them, they didn't try to reach her, and Yumi treated the girls like her own (i.e. convincing Shinigami-Sama to not through their cute little butts right out of Shibusen for all the bad things they tended to do). It was as simple as that, really. But no, Kid's parents didn't seem to realize how to handle a child or reintegrating yourself into their life after being gone over a decade.

As Shinigami-Sama had said, Kid was in the office. He was wearing a plastic apron over his school uniform, a bright blue shower cap, a pair of swimming goggles, and bright yellow rubber gloves. He had a bin with him filled with rags, paper towels, disinfective wipes and various toxic cleaning materials. "Kid?" She asked dubiously, looking around at the pristine office.

"Hello, Liz," He said without looking up. He was currently working some wood polish into the top of his desk. "Sorry, but I can't really visit right now. As you can see, this room is absolutely horrendous and needs my immediate attention." She walked over to him, caught his hand, and held it still. He finally glanced up at her and even with the goggles on she could see the dark black-blue bags from sleeplessness under his eyes.

"Kid, please," She said gently, tugging his hand toward one of the chairs in the room. He allowed her to pull him away from his work and press him into a sitting position. She moved one of the chairs so that she was sitting in front of him. "Have you called your mother?"

"No," He said quickly, yanking the goggles off and actually flinging them to the ground. He dropped his head to his hands, elbows propped on his knees to keep him up. She reached over and lightly tugged off the shower cap, setting it beside the discarded goggles. "Why would I want to call her?"

"To talk to her and try to reconnect," She recommended lightly. She let her fingers gently massage down from the nape of his neck to about the middle of his back. "She's back in town and clearly wants to be involved with you. You could either try to rebuild that bridge or let her know that it's too late."

"She'll just end up leaving me again eventually," He said coldly. Liz paused in his ministrations, azure orbs light with concern. "Ever since… After my parents divorced, my father hired nannies to help raise me. But in the end, they would all end up leaving for one reason or another. No woman has ever really wanted anything to do with me."

"Not true," She rebuked with a smile, "considering that I am dating you."

"Yes, but you will leave me soon enough too," He said while looking up. She was actually pained by the sadness in his eyes. "You'll either get sick of dealing with my problems, or you'll realize that you can do much better, or you'll think that since we'll be graduating next ye-"

She silenced him by kissing him soundly on the lips.

He was stricken silent by the little lip lock and she smirked at him. "I'm not going anywhere, any time soon," She said, taking his hands in her and giving a little squeeze. He looked down and then looked back at her, hope making his amber eyes glow. "Now, let's go get you a huge cheeseburger, some fries, a soda and then you need to take your pills."

"What about my mother?" He asked softly, wincing a bit. She lifted one of her hands and poked his forehead lightly.

"We'll figure out how we want to handle all that bull shit later on, okay? For now we need to get you fed," She said seriously.

"Good," He sighed. His stomach suddenly grumbled lowly and he blushed. "I'm starving, really."

…

When Spirit had showed up on their doorstep, Kami had been planning to slam the door right in his face. When he put his foot in the way and said this had to do with Maka, she changed her mind. Currently, the pair sat in the kitchen with cups of coffee. A tense silent rolled by before she glared at him. "So what is this important information you have about our daughter?" She asked skeptically.

"Now, Kami," He sighed lightly. He placed his cup down and looked at her, this serious expression she remembered from years before coming to his features. He looked liked that whenever he felt that what he said had the potential to end the world. It was the same expression he had worn when confessing all his affairs to her. "I'm only telling you this because I can't take action without you. After all, you got sole custody of Maka and that right cannot be transferred without your consent."

"Wait, what?" She snapped angrily. He remained calm while she rose and glared at him. "Who the Hell do you think you are, coming in here and saying stuff like that?"

"And who the Hell do you think you are, to let your daughter fool around with her step brother?" He said evenly. The statement effective deflated his ex-wife, leading to her slumping in the chair and staring at him. "I thought you might not know, but I saw it myself. When they were getting ready to leave the parking lot today, I saw them kissing. And not in a way siblings would, to say the least."

"How… You must have been seeing things," She said. She shook her head and let out a nervous chuckle. "I mean, there is no way those two could be dating without Will or I noticing." She wasn't going to admit to them that she and Will were never really here, leaving the two teens alone for quite some time.

"Kami, please," He stressed gently. He looked at her, urgency now added to the seriousness of his tone and posture. "There are things more important than your damn pride right now. For example, they could… They could be…. Sleeping together." He shuddered at the thought. The idea of any boy, especially the ilk of that bastard William, touching his precious, perfect angel, pissed him off and made him sick.

"Oh, God!" Kami gasped, covering her mouth and closing her eyes. The thought that those two were doing things so… scandalous under her roof without her knowing was horrific!

"Kami, you know what we have to do," He said delicately. She stared at him and shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. She didn't want to accept it. She couldn't accept it. She didn't want to accept it. "We have to do what is best for Maka, whether you like it or not."

She was silent for a moment before nodding solemnly.

…

Tsubaki took a deep breath before lightly knocking on the door to Black*Star's house. She looked around nervously, wondering if anyone would answer. She knew his mother worked at all hours of the day, working two separate jobs to support them, and that there was no man in the house beside the self-proclaimed God. The door creaked open to reveal Shimmer*Star, the teen boy's mother. The resemblance between the two was there yet not as prominent as one may think. Aside from their eye color, there was very little linking mother to child. The other woman's auburn locks were tied off in a long braid that brushed the back of her knees. "Tsubaki, what a pleasant surprise!" She said in a warm yet tired tone.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you, Miss Shimmer," She said worriedly, noticing the older woman's oversized shirt and baggy sleep pants. The other waved a hand to signify it was all okay and she nodded. "I was actually hoping to talk to Black*Star, if he's around."

"He's just up in his room, doing whatever it is he's been doing the last few days," She said gently, stepping aside for the other woman to enter. She shut the door with a small click while Tsubaki examined how surprisingly clean the apartment was. Normally Black*Star was a lazy pig, and Shimmer*Star herself was too worn to clean up. "It's nice, don't you think? Black*Star's been keeping up on his choirs lately, which is wonderful. It takes a little of the stress off when I come home to a nice, clean apartment."

"I can imagine," The raven haired woman giggled lightly before heading off down the hall. She paused in front of his door before taking a deep breath, grabbing the doorknob and letting herself in.

Black*Star was laying on his bed so that his sock-clad feet were on his pillows and his head was dangling over the edge. He blinked, staring at her from his upside down position. "Tsubaki?" He asked in alarm, scrambling to sit up right. He ended up landing on his head with a startled cry before settling cross-legged on the floor. "What are you doing here?" He asked, in a sort of bland but not rude tone of voice. She was surprised that the words didn't offend her as much as they probably should have.

"I came to talk to you," She said gently. She had reached her resolve two weeks ago, after her talk with Ms. Mjolnir, but she had trouble tracking him down. It wasn't until today, when she didn't have cheer practice or a meeting as one of the top members of the choir that she was able to come by here to see him.

"We already talked, back at Disneyland," He said calmly, staring at her like she was idiot. She shook her head and knelt down in front of him. He poked him square in the forehead.

"No, back at Disney, you just talked and then started avoiding me," She explained calmly. He stared at her with the same expression as before.

"Yeah," He said slowly,"because that was what you wanted."

"But it isn't," She said calmly. At this he seemed startled, unbelieving of the words she uttered. "Black*Star, I didn't want you to cut me out or think you weren't good enough to be near me. I just wanted you to be able to admit that you were wrong and that you overreacted, which you sort of did. I want to be near you and I want you to be with me, but not like we've always been. I want us to be closer, and more certain of how we feel for one another."

He stared at her for a while before looking off to the side. "I can't promise you that I won't be an insensitive jerk sometimes," He said warningly. She merely giggled and nodded.

"I'm fine with that," She said warmly. He then smiled back at her, a faint and endearing blush on his cheeks.

Elsewhere, Shimmer*Star sighed happily as she realized that her son would finally be snapping from the funk he'd been in the last few weeks.

…

It had all happened in a whirl when Soul and Maka got home, he thought while he sat in the backyard. There was a large van in the front yard and they watched as the men took box after box inside. They had been visiting with the Thompson girls late so it was about a quarter past eleven. "I didn't know there were 24 hour movers," Soul remarked calmly.

"Yeah, but why are they here?" Maka asked as they piled out of the car. In the doorway stood Kami, her arms crossed over her face and an annoyed look on her face. They had walked over and before either one of them could open their mouths to speak Kami was screaming at them both. They were both horrified when she mentioned their secret relationship and began accusing them of having sex when she and Will weren't around.

Soul had watched, stunned, as Maka and her mother started to bicker over the state of the teen girl's virginity. Will stood as a silent figure, eyes filled with embarrassment as he watched his youngest son. Spirit had then walked out, carrying a cardboard box, and joined in on the argument between his daughter and ex-wife. Ruby eyes widened when it was made clear the things in the boxes were actually Maka's, and that she was going to be coming with her father back to California.

"We haven't done a damn thing!" He snapped, joining into the fray.

"Soul, stay out of this," Will jumped in as well, walking over to try and get his son back inside. However, the shark toothed male would have none of that today.

Will and he began arguing and, after nearly ten minutes of back and forth, Soul snapped. He hauled off and slugged his own father right in the jaw.

It was then that Wes included himself, restraining Soul by his arms and starting to drag the thrashing male inside. Meanwhile, Kami herself was shoving Maka toward the moving van, ignoring the girl's cries of protest. Will massaged his jaw lightly, silently applauding his son's left hook, while Spirit whistled. "You have more self control than I do," The other man remarked calmly. Will glanced at him. "If it was me I would have hit him back."

"Yes, well," He snorted while righting himself, "I am the better father between the pair of us."

"Not by much!" Soul roared from inside, continuing to struggle against his brother. Wes grumbled something to try and quiet him up but it did nothing.

Soul had been locked up in his room for the rest of the night and now, as the sun was starting to rise, he looked down at the small bonfire pit he had made. In the hole were all the Sickle Syndrome things he had collected over the years, from CDs to DVDs and posters. His father had explained everything to him (including why he and Maka dating was such a bad thing, though Soul had argued they weren't related by blood so it shouldn't have mattered at all) but it didn't make a lick of difference to him.

Spirit Henderson was not someone to be admired. He was a home-wrecking piece of shit.

"Can't believe I ever wanted to be like you," Soul mumbled before picking up the can of gasoline he had swiped from the garage. He unscrewed the top and doused ever last piece of merchandise in the strangely scented liquid before tossing the empty plastic container off to the side. He then struck a match and tossed it down, watching as the blaze started up.

He stood out there by himself until every last thing was nothing but inky, smoldering ash.

End

(1) The bridge of a string instrument is a device for supporting the strings and transmitting the vibrations of those strings to some other structural component of the instrument in order to transfer the sound to the surrounding air. (Another definition borrowed from Wikipedia.)

(2) Loosening the bow – The bow, for those who don't know, is the long, sword-esque tool string players drag along the strings of the instrument when not plucking the strings with their fingers in pizzicato style. It is made using a light wood so that holding it is easy and horse hair is attached to drag along the strings to create the sound. There is a small metal knob at the bottom of all bows that, when cranked in either direction, controls the tightness or looseness of the hairs, thus affecting how well the bow creates the sound. The bow must be loosened before being put away because, if not, it can cause the bow to become hard and lead to it snapping. (I defined this one all on my own, so let's hope it makes sense! :D)

Notes:

Spirit's a dick and Kami's a selfish bitch. Let me be frank with you all; I've never really liked Kami. I mean, think about it; she went through the trouble of taking Spirit to court, got full custody of their fourteen year old daughter, **and then she leaves said daughter guardian-less so that she can go travel the world**? I'm sorry, but no. She should have just left Maka in Spirit's care if she was gonna pull that shit! So, maybe if she shows up and gives a good explanation later on in the canon series my opinion of her might change, but I highly doubt it. :T

Next Chapter:

Epilogue time~!


	14. Epilogue

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater; I do, however, own the plot.

This Stupid Epilogue

Graduation was a wonderful day as Soul, Liz, Tsubaki, Kid and Black*Star took in the crisp night air. It had been a rough two years without Maka but they had stayed together and refused to give in to despair. When Spirit and Kami had decided they didn't want Maka and Soul around each other, they really meant it. Maka's phone number had been changed, Kami set anything with her daughter's new address on it on fire and she was no longer permitted onto any of the chatting sites she used to. No emails, no Skype, no nothing.

Thus, the group got creative and did some sleuthing that didn't bear fruit until about six months ago. When they got their hands on an address. From there, they were able to get themselves hooked up with even more interesting information. After that, Soul started getting things in order to make the move to California to find Maka. He sat on the information that he knew her whereabouts until about three weeks ago, when he informed them of everything.

"You know, it's been two years. She may be over you at this point," Kid pointed out calmly. He was wearing a maroon colored cap and gown, a silver pin stuck to the left side of his gown. In the time that had passed, Kid had made a stunning breakthrough with his condition. He still obsessed over symmetry but he was much less prone to emotional breakdowns if things were not as such. Liz claimed that this was because he had taken the chance to tell his mother where to shove it (an event that, the young woman said, was very satisfying to watch as the other woman broke down into sobs) while Kid said that it had nothing to do with his mother. He would then smile at Liz, making her blush and look away, but not explain any farther than that.

"That is a good point," Tsubaki said with a worried frown. She and Black*Star were doing surprisingly well and, through her gentle guidance, his grades had been raised to Cs. Not exactly Stanford material but certainly good enough to get his diploma, which suited Black*Star just fine. The loud mouthed male planned on getting himself a job as a karate instructor until he could save up enough money to open his own studio to train young kids in the way of martial arts. Meanwhile, Tsubaki wanted to be a pediatrician and was planning on going to college. Between financial aid, cheerleading scholarships and her great GPA, it was looking like she wouldn't have to pay a cent to go to any of the universities in Death City, as she was planning to.

"Maka won't have forgotten him," Liz said, chin turned up defiantly. Her own plans, Soul discovered, were the most bizarre and interesting to him. The young blonde had revealed to them all a weak spot for making pastries, from cupcakes to pies to triple layer cakes. She was going to go to a culinary college and then planned on getting a gig working at one of the many fancy bakery joints in town. None of them had teased Liz about this because they found it a sort of cute contrast to Kid; while Kid would be continuing on with his family's time-honored tradition of being educators, Liz would be breaking away from her own family's dark past to make a bright career of her own. "She isn't like that. She's been waiting for him this whole time."

He smiled at Liz and flashed her a thumbs up. "Thanks," He said gently.

She grinned back. "No problem. Is your apartment already set up for you?" She asked curiously.

"My uncle got the lease taken care of so right now it's just waiting for me and my stuff," He said calmly. Soul's uncle Asura was a real estate agent in California whom had always preferred Soul to Wesley; claimed that anyone who could drive Will up the walls that well deserved to be praised. As things stood, Soul had gotten a job as a mechanic situated (another favor from his uncle) while he figured out what he wanted. It would work out well because he was planning to get his gen eds knocked out of the way first anyway; plus, he had some scholarships so the thought of out-of-state-tuition was less terrifying.

"And your things are on a flight headed over tomorrow, right?" Tsubaki asked interestedly. He nodded.

"Yup. I'm going to head up there bright and early, pick up the last minute goods I need with my uncle's help, unpack, and then I'm going to try and track Maka down," He explained. A nervous smile had wormed its way up on his lips. "My apartment is only about two blocks from her neighborhood so it shouldn't be too hard to find her. She'll probably be chilling on the beach or something. She always had a sore spot for the smell of the ocean air."

"No offense, but talking like that makes you sound like a pussy," Black*Star snickered, which resulted in Tsubaki giving his shoulder a warning thump. "What? It's not my fault that mushy stuff is beneath a man like the Great Black*Star!" He protested quickly.

She decided to let it slide, since she knew that he could be even more sentimental and poetic with his words when the two were in private.

"Anyway," Kid said with a roll of his eyes, "is your father still ignoring you?"

"Yeah," Soul shrugged as they made their way to the parking lot. Needless to say, when Will and Kami found out what the young man was doing they had been less than pleased. They had bickered with him that Maka was his step-sister, since Will and Kami had married (a wedding Maka had not been a guest to), and that made it taboo. Soul responded by saying that he wanted to be disowned by his father, since that would no longer make them legal relatives. At first, the two adults had adamantly denied granting his request.

After always having to hear him talk with Asura about when he'd be moving and what he'd be bringing, however, finally Will conceded. Thus, Soul had taken on a new last name (since Soul Kishin didn't sound quite right) and now responded to Soul Eater. Though Will did not enjoy the fact that he was losing his youngest child, he couldn't really do much else. It was either he give the crimson eyed young man what he wanted and still have a chance of having a relationship some years in the future or lose him completely.

And given what that had done to Kami, as all the males of the Evans household noticed, none of them really wanted that again.

As things stood, when they saw him come home with boxes a few days ago and enlist his friend's aid in getting all his things packed up, neither adult knew exactly how to respond. The two seemed to figure that ignoring him was their best means of response and silence reigned supreme. "I figure they'll get over it once I'm gone. I mean, Kami'll be thrilled once I'm out of her hair," He said with a smirk, reaching the parking lot and parting ways with his friends. Ever since the day Maka had been thrown into Spirit's life and banished from theirs, Soul made sure the older woman would regret it.

When he walked in, Kami was sitting on the couch with the television on low. Wesley was the only one who attended his graduation ceremony, but hadn't been able to stay too long after because he had to get to work. She glanced up at him and then looked back at the screen. "It didn't have to be like this, you know," She remarked casually. Soul unzipped his gown, revealing the blue jeans and black tank top he'd tossed on underneath.

"Oh yeah?" He asked calmly. He glared at his hands as he put the gown in the little cardboard box he'd left by the door for it.

"Yeah. Maka could have just left with Spirit and we could have pretended that nothing ever happened. We could have formed a happy little family, but you just wouldn't let it be," She said while turning to glare at him.

"You really hate Spirit that much, don't you?" He asked evenly. She blinked then raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, you sent Maka away because you wanted him to leave," He said simply, a glare of his own coming into play.

"That isn't why! I sent her away because you two-!"

"Oh, cut the bullshit, will you?" He bellowed with a small snarl. He was pleased when she fell silent much easier than he had originally thought she would. He dropped his cap into the little box, picked it up, and resumed glaring at her. "You sent her away because Spirit was here to be near her. And that was causing you and my dad to fight all the time, which you didn't want. After all, you already had one failed relationship under your belt. What kind of successful woman can't even keep together her own marriage? So you sent Maka away, because you knew that if Spirit got to keep her he would have no reason to hover around. So you let him win, lost your daughter, and lost the respect you'd worked so hard to get. Hope you're happy when you think about this whole thing years from now, when you aren't getting Christmas notes from anyone you care about." He said blandly while heading over to the staircase.

Kami watched him go then turned back to the television. In the last two years Medusa had stopped talking to her. She had been transferred off of Spellcasters label and given the task of helping a new group they took on. When she asked why she had simply been told by her boss, Noah, "It was a request by the group themselves. They threatened to switch labels unless I agreed to what they wanted." And now she stared at the little sitcom on the television, watching as the child hugged its mother and said some adorable catch phrase that was followed by a laugh track.

She changed the channel to keep the tears at bay.

…

Maka Albarn had always been an interesting young woman. All her years handling Soul and his friends had solidified this fact for not only the individuals in question but as well as herself. For example, it didn't matter that her room at her father's house had been painted to depict a beautiful, exquisite beach at sunset. It didn't matter that she had a king-sized bed with fresh, crisp new sheets that matched the color of the sea water when it lapped at her ankles. It didn't matter that there was a walk-in closet for her use, or that there was an adjacent room that was home to only a desk and shelves with all her favorite books.

Knowing that Soul and all her friends were miles away kept her from getting too giddy over anything.

Thus, she still found the ability within herself to ignore her father and all his attempts to please her. She refused any concert tickets he offered to get her. She feigned disinterest when he would come home with the newest best-selling novels. Hell, even when he had said he could get one of the top conductors in the country to give her private lessons to improve her technique she had responded with a bored, "No, thanks. I don't really need it."

And for a while, that had been enough to get under her father's skin and hurt his feelings. She was hoping that it was working in convincing him to let her at least talk to her old friends. When he didn't let up, she started refusing her mother's calls or cards for the holidays. As she had with Spirit for so many years, she would either light checks or cash gifts on fire or donate them to charities. Never once did she use the evil money that she knew was a tactic to buy her forgiveness.

Being known to hold a grudge, she had a reputation to uphold. Should Soul ever come to find her (and she was holding her breath on it because she knew that Soul Evans was not a man known for being easily deterred) she was going to prove to him that she did not reserve her scorn for solely him. Oh, no, she was a vengeful machine that could hate anyone if they did her as wrong as her parents did. And yet, still, in these last two years neither one of them had ever apologized. Never had her feelings and emotional well being been placed at the forefront, like they should have been.

So, after a year of her little acts, she had moved on to bigger moves of rebellion that Soul would have probably been proud of her for.

The first was that she got her naval pierced. Spirit nearly hit the roof when he saw the cute little gem dangling in plain view (since Maka had been wearing a pair of booty shorts and a bikini top at the time, because of a trip to the nearby beach with her friends). The best part came, however, when he demanded to know where it had been done, so he could sue them for not having her get a paper signed with his consent. She was seventeen at the time, just starting her senior year, and she had been a little shocked her father hadn't immediately assumed she'd just forged his signature (which she had).

"Relax," She said casually. She had grinned down at the little trinket and then back at her father. "Who said that I got it done at a shop? You would be surprised what some of the greasers at my school will do for ten bucks. And I have to admit, this is an expert job. I mean, considering all we had to work with was the primary stud, a paper clip and a half empty bottle of warm as piss Budweiser as an antiseptic." She had smirked quite proudly when her father fell to the floor with a high pitched squeal, fainting dead away. She had never been a fan of liars, but Maka saw no harm in telling less than the truth to her father; after all, he had never been the most honest individual himself.

The next act was a bigger lie than the first, and she was pretty sure that everyone but Soul would have been proud of her for it. A friend from her new school, whom took her to get the piercing done, Rich, had needed a huge favor from Maka. The poor guy wasn't exactly the straightest arrow around. Though his attitude usually had people thinking he must be a real lady killer, he never dated or showed interest. On top of that, rumors were starting to circulate that debated said topic. So, because she was a good friend given how kind he had been to her, she agreed to pretend to be his girlfriend.

Dating a "greaser", as he was called, was bad enough; but then Maka told her father to back off since Rich was her first. She and Rich had enjoyed watching him freak out when they told him.

Now, this lie could be easily pulled apart with the simple fact that at graduation a few days ago Rich outed himself. Then again, Spirit was never really been the brightest crayon in the box so he didn't put two and two together. "Your dad's a real dumbass, isn't he?" Rich snickered from his spot beside her. They were seated on the beach, in the shade of a huge umbrella. He was waxing his surfboard while she was shuffling through her iPod to pick a song to listen to. Giving up, she tossed it on random, set it back down, and pulled out a book.

"I never said he was a smart man; just that he is, in fact, a man," She said simply, cracking the book open to the first page.

"And what a man he is~!" Rich giggled loudly, earning him a weird look from his female associate. Maka didn't need him to hear her gay best friend telling her that her dad was a D.I.L.F., after all.

"I knew you were only dating me for my father," She quipped teasingly. She then shook her head. "But it will never work. He only likes women."

"Then I will become a woman!" He boasted while standing.

Maka laughed lightly before rolling her eyes. "Go catch some waves, or whatever you call it. You're going to make me sick at this rate," She said, shoving him lightly. He let out a huffy noise before heading off, looking at her over his shoulder. He started trying to walk like a model which got more chortles out of her. "You stop that!"

He laughed back before taking off to greet a small wave rushing at the shore. She smiled lightly and eased back on the towel she'd brought down for herself. She plucked her sunglasses from her head and set them off to the side, turning her attention to the book. It wasn't until she was through the third chapter that she noticed what was playing through her speakers.

_Then I open up and see  
>The person falling here is me<br>A different way to be_

She set her book down and looked at the little music player with a scowl. It was _Dreams_, by the Cranberries. After she moved to California, she couldn't listen to this song anymore. It always made her think of that trip with Soul, how he had sung a part of it to her, and it just upset her too much. At the same time, however, she couldn't bring herself to remove it from her little mp3 player.

_I want more  
>Impossible to ignore<br>Impossible to ignore_

She perked up when Rich was suddenly shouting at her from the water. She winced a bit, trying to see what he was doing. "You better not be pretending to drown again!" She shouted while rising and taking a step closer. "I mean it this time! It wasn't funny the first time you did it and it isn't funny now!"

It was then she realized that he was pointing to something.

_They'll come true  
>Impossible not to do<br>Impossible not to do_

She blinked and tilted her head before he rolled his eyes and shook his head. He then pointed to his teeth, and then held his index fingers up like fangs. "Behind you!" He called, though she was barely able to hear it.

"Your friend is a little strange, isn't he?" A voice hummed right in her ear, causing her to yelp and jump. When she turned, however, it wasn't to scream at the person. No, her eyes drank in the grinning shark teeth and glinting ruby orbs for a mere second before she had latched onto him. He chuckled, the sound vibrating in his chest, before wrapping his arms snuggly around her.

_And now I tell you openly  
>You have my heart so don't hurt me.<br>You're what I couldn't find.  
>A totally amazing mind<br>So understanding and so kind  
>You're everything to me.<em>

"I missed you so much!" She sniffled, fighting back tears. She then leaned back and wiped the heel of her hands over her eyes.

"I got an acceptance letter from the university in this city and moved out here," He said calmly. His arms were still content around her waist, not in any particular hurry to let her go. "I just so happened to be able to track you down, using a few resources as my disposal. I found out where you were going to college, sent an application and simply waited for an answer."

"You… You were able to find me? Even though I was never able to contact any of you guys after the move?" She asked excitedly.

"My uncle is a sneaky, intelligent man… Whom happens to be your father's real estate agent," He said cheerfully. He then glanced down and whistled at the shimmering pink jewel protruding from Maka's naval. "Would you look at that? Sweet little Maka Albarn got a piercing that isn't on her ears?"

"I do live in California; it's all about being dressed to impress," She hummed lightly before kissing his cheek and cuddling him again. "I really did miss you."

"I missed you to," He hummed, closing his eyes and resting his chin on the top of her head. He looked forward to a bright future that was waiting just over the horizon.

End

Notes:

Figured I should cover this before you all start launching your rotten fruit and such, since many people commented on feeling this ending came too abruptly; this was the ending I always saw. I mean, I didn't want to drag it out with filler fluff when I could explain it in the last chapter. There was never going to be some plot twist where Spirit and Kami realized they were wrong, there wasn't going to be something like Soul sneaking to California to try and convince Spirit to bring her back, nothing like that (though you can certainly expect to see a few of those endings coming to play in some of my future works). Again; I had always thought it to be like this. The two of them, instead of running the risk of things becoming even more complicated, would do their time begrudgingly, snoop around to get what they could get done and then race to each other when there was nothing their parents could do or say anymore. Perhaps it's less dramatic than another ending, but it was the ending I had always been working toward. I sincerely hope that you all enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it, and look forward to improving my people-pleasing skills with my other upcoming stories.

Until then, thank you and see you soon~! :3


End file.
